Incubus Lust
by RWingflyr
Summary: Katt's new boyfriend has a dark and sinister plan for her. Rated for some mature content.
1. Devil of a Don Juan

Disclaimer: The original Starfox characters portrayed in this story are copyrights of Nintendo/Rare. Original characters are copyrights of me, the author and may not be used in other stories without my consent. Any similarities to characters, places and/or plots of other stories or to actual people, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

With that out of the way, please enjoy the story!

Incubus Lust

Chapter 1: Devil of a Don Juan

The rain was unhappy.

The coquettish girl sat on the concrete bench at the busy intersection, preventing the dreary precipitation from thoroughly drenching the cold, hard seat. She clenched the polished handle of her umbrella at the reason she was sitting there by herself instead of relaxing in her favorite restaurant, the Green Bistro. She had even gone through the trouble of picking out a sleek little black dress for the occasion. She sighed as she vainly attempted to dry out the wet spots on her pink fur. She never liked rain.

This was the fourth straight week it had happened, but she never anticipated it happening this much. But this was to be expected from someone like Falco; his empty promises of treating her to a night on the town virtually took her belief that he would just once live up to the hype that had been expected of him and ripped it to shreds. Falco was always a surly sort of fellow. His egocentrism and her extroversion always seemed to clash and result in very interesting conversation, but she nonetheless continued to love him despite all his shortcomings. Falco, despite the affection that she showed him every possible day and night, hated that about her.

Katt stared across the intersection at the expensive eatery. _"How dare he do this to me!"_ Her subconscious exclaimed angrily. _"What the hell did I do to deserve to be treated like this?"_ She squeezed the umbrella handle tighter. Happy couples rushed through the glass doors of the restaurant to escape the relentless storm. Watching this made Katt seethe even more. She and Falco could be up there with those other couples, but no; Falco opted to leave Katt in the dust and do whatever else guys like him do.

_"Falco, you don't stand me up this much and get away with it."_ She thought defiantly. _"I'm coming over."_

* * *

"Celia?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you found the remote yet?"

The response was a muffled giggle. "Oh, Falco. You're such a tease!" A feline head slowly emerged from underneath the bed covers and tossed her silvery white hair aside. The soft sheets outlined the sleek, svelte figure of the girl Falco lay with in his bed. She gradually ran a paw through his chest feathers; delivering slow butterfly kisses to his neck.

"Damn, girl. That tickles!" Falco smiled as he stroked the silky pink fur.

Celia giggled and smiled. "Baby, please tell me again why you ditched my little sister."

Falco returned the smile. "Because a day in the sack with you is better than some crummy hash house any day." He then began scratching the back of her neck. Celia moaned and purred with pleasure until someone knocked on the door.

Falco ceased the scratching and looked at the small calendar sitting on his nightstand. "What the hell? That damn landlord doesn't pick up the rent 'til tomorrow." Falco said irritably as he sat up. "I guess I better go see what he wants then, dammit."

Celia quickly grabbed Falco's arm, almost letting the sheets fall off of her. "No, baby. Please stay." She cooed.

Falco shrugged. "Ah, what the hell. He can kiss my feathery ass!" Celia squeaked in delight as the blue avian jumped back into bed and pulled the covers over them. As they tussled, another angrier knock brought the bird upright.

_"Geez, what does this guy want?"_ "Celia, give me a minute so I can take care of this clown." Celia pouted as she sat up and handed Falco his boxers.

"Please hurry, baby. I get anxious very quickly."

The living room of Falco's third floor apartment was littered with dirty clothes – many that weren't his – and empty liquor bottles among other things. He pulled a tank top off a recliner and stuffed it over his head. He took a sip of a half-empty can of beer and – forgetting to look in the peephole – opened the door. His face was a look of stupor and utter shock when none other than Katt Monroe stood in front of him; a rigid stare etched on her face. Words stumbled across Falco's tongue as he tried not to sound surprised at Katt's arrival.

"Er, um, uh, hey, Katt. What brings you here?"

Katt stood motionless, paws stuffed into the pockets of her black leather jacket with the umbrella hanging from her left wrist. "Gee, Falco. I don't know. Maybe it's because some inconsiderate boyfriend of mine stood me up for the fourth straight week? It wouldn't hurt you to walk two blocks to the restaurant I was waiting at for over an hour!"

Falco held up his feathered hands. "It wasn't intentional, I swear. I've, uh, had other things to do."

Katt stepped into the room and sniffed, picking up a peculiar scent. She stepped over the littered floor toward the couch and spotted the source of the foreign odor. She held up a pair of white lace panties. "Really? Like what? Give me one good reason why I should believe you because I know for damn sure these aren't mine."

"Falco, baby. Who are you talking to?"

Katt froze. She knew that voice anywhere. She tightened her lips and her grip on the underwear. "Falco, tell me that isn't my older sister." She said ominously. Her voice choked somewhat to stifle a sob.

Celia stood in the hallway adjacent to the living room, naked underneath the large blankets she held on her. "Katt! Um, I can explain, really..."

Katt stood still, not averting her glare from Falco, who was staring at the floor in embarrassment. She flung the undergarment away in disgust. "Don't bother." Katt stormed out, slamming the door shut.

Falco stared at the door for a time before slumping down on the couch. He rubbed his face, sighing remorsefully. "Celia, I think it's time for you to go home."

* * *

The dark creatures penetrated the farthest depths of the Lylat System, their long journey at an end. For now they would wait…with evil intentions.

"Is master ready?"

"Yes. He is ready."

The small alien ship rested on an asteroid in the expansive belt separating Corneria from the rest of the Lylat System. The two creatures beat their large devilish wings in anticipation of their master carrying out their plan.

"Once he finds us a fertile queen, we cannot be stopped."

"Yes. This primitive system will be ours to command."

"No. The galaxy will be ours!"

"Yes! We will be feared by all!"

"Show me where our master waits, Lord Cephil."

Lord Cephil waved a large claw over a glass ball and a white tomcat in a gray trench coat appeared within. "See, he awaits our new queen." A diabolic smile pierced the demon creature's ugly face. "This time, she will last forever."

* * *

Two blocks. The short distance from Falco's apartment and the Green Bistro seemed more like two miles than two blocks. Nevertheless, Katt trudged along the rainy sidewalk as she caught a glimpse of the restaurant in the distance; it was a welcome sight to what she had just witnessed. She continuously thought of just how stupid she was to not having figured it out sooner. She glanced at her watch – eight o'clock on the nose. Katt moved like a slow shadow, the umbrella shaded her face from the bright street light so that her watering eyes wouldn't be noticed by anyone unlucky enough to be caught in the downpour. Before she knew it, she stood at her savior's doorstep.

"Good evening, madam. Welcome to the Green Bistro."

Katt smiled meekly at the greeter standing at the door. The cool air of the expensive eatery welcomed the depressed feline inside. Closing her umbrella, Katt removed her warm leather jacket, showing off bare shoulders and an elegant black dress. She had the sexy look nailed, but from her expression she could've passed for someone having attended a funeral. She sat alone at the bar forgetting one of her closest friends worked behind the counter.

"Well if it isn't Katty M!" Katt looked up at the sound of her pet name and the collie face of her young friend Mina Meros greeted her. "I was wondering what happened to you!"

"Hey Mina." Katt muttered unenthusiastically. "You don't want to know what happened to me."

"It's alright." Mina assured. "Prob'ly nothing I haven't heard before, babe. Shoot."

"Trust me. You don't wanna know."

"Hell I don't! The longer you keep it a secret, the longer it's gonna hurt. Now spit it out."

The look on Mina's face told Katt she had no chance of winning the argument. Katt leaned closer secretively. "Falco's cheating on me with my older sister."

The collie slapped a paw to her mouth in disbelief. "Damn, girl. That IS rough."

"Tell me about it."

"Babe, I don't know why you still go back to him every time he drops you like that. I think it's time for you to move on." Mina turned and filled a small glass with a drink and handed it to Katt. "It's on the house. Maybe this will help."

Katt again smiled meekly. "Thanks anyway. I'll need a lot more than this if I wanna get past Falco."

Mina began wiping the bar table with a red cloth. "Hon, that there is our strongest stuff…" She trailed off, lowering her auburn head, trying to look inconspicuous. "Don't turn around, but there's someone making eyes at you."

Katt sighed. "Mina, a lot of guys make eyes at me. It's no big deal."

Mina stood with arms akimbo. "Baby girl, you're hotter than a firecracker in the depths of hell. It damn sure IS a big deal! You need to drop that bird-brain and start over, and you can start by asking that tommy for a fling."

"Mina, I appreciate your help, but please just let me do my own thing on my own time."

"Won't have to. Look."

Katt's glassy expression quickly changed at the sight of the white tomcat sitting next to her. Mina definitely wasn't lying about how drop-dead handsome he was and the thought of it made her heart skip a beat.

"Hi. How are you?"

The sound of the cat's baritone voice caused Katt to fumble aimlessly for her drink. Without averting her gaze, she took a quick swig of her potent drink as she clumsily searched for words to introduce herself. The tomcat simply smiled.

"My name is Angora. What lovely name are you blessed with, madam?"

Katt was heaving nervously. She had seen handsome males in the past, but this blue-eyed Angora was giving her absolute fits. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"Her name's Katherine Monroe." Mina spoke at last, answering for her speechless friend. "Katt for short."

"Katherine? My, what a lovely name for a beautiful girl such as yourself." Angora took one of Katt's paws and held it firmly in one of his. Katt watched as the tomcat brought her paw to his mouth and kissed it softly.

Katt by now was breathing heavily and her body temperature was steadily rising. She tried cooling off by fanning a paw to her head.

"Oh dear God…" was all Katt managed to utter before she collapsed to the floor unconscious.

* * *

"Katt! C'mon, wake up!"

Slaps to the face brought the groggy feline out of unconsciousness. Mina was the first face she saw. "Ugh, where am I?"

"I brought you home, Katt. It's after midnight."

"What happened?"

Mina snickered. "Would you believe it? You fainted!"

Katt shot upright. "I fainted?"

Mina shook her head in disbelief. "I've never seen that happen with you before, girl! You've never fainted in front of a guy!"

Katt's memory was blurry and her voice slightly slurred. "What are you talking about? What guy?"

"That Angora guy at the bistro, girl! I think he's got you in his little black book!"

The memory of her encounter suddenly came back to Katt. She buried her weary face in her paws. "Aw, dammit. I probably looked stupid in front of him!"

Mina reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "Nonsense, girl. He told me to give this to you."

Katt fell back on her bed and took the piece of paper. Written on it was a message.

"Please accept my invitation to visit me at the Blue Surf Suites, room 1035 tomorrow evening at seven."  
-Angora

"Sounds like a date, Katty!" Mina exclaimed.

"Mina, I dunno…"

"Katt, I've already told you that starting over is the best way to get past Falco! Besides, what's the worst that could happen? You could at least say you tried."

Katt stared at the message on the paper. "Look, Mina. I'll think about it, okay?"

Mina patted Katt's closest shoulder. "I know you will. Look, I gotta get home m'self. Catch ya later, babe."

"Later, Mina."

As Mina left, Katt pondered the message further. _"What have I got to lose? Maybe Mina's right. I probably do need to let Falco go and look elsewhere for a relationship."_

Besides, what's the worst that could happen?

Chapter 2 coming soon! Remember…no reviews, no story! (But absolutely NO FLAMES!)


	2. The Date From Hell or Wherever

Chapter 2: The Date From Hell (or Wherever)

Room 1035 of the Blue Surf Suites had a picturesque view of the ocean around midday.

Unfortunately, the sole occupant of this room wasn't planning on sightseeing.

Angora huddled in a corner; an eerie purple mist forming between his white paws. He gazed into it, communicating with his accomplices.

"I have found our queen, Cephil."

Cephil grinned. "Thank you, highness. When can we expect fertilization?"

"It is only a matter of days, my friend." Angora spoke in a low, foreboding tone. "First, I will have to earn her trust. Right now, she seems…hesitant."

Cephil scratched his wrinkly chin. "Take your time, my lord. We trust you."

* * *

In room 1031, however, a happy couple was eagerly anticipating joining the scenic view of the beach.

"Fox, are you sure this swimsuit isn't too revealing?" A voice shouted from the bathroom.

Fox chuckled while lying on the bed. "Krys, considering your last outfit, this one's conservative!"

"I agree, but…" The scintillating cerulean vixen emerged, showing off her white swimsuit. "I have this feeling everyone will be looking at me." The alluring one-piece suit had a large oval cut from the side so that much of the midriff and back was revealed. A triangular hole near the top of the chest was added to entice a more sensual effect.

Fox stood up smiling. "You say that like it's a bad thing." He approached and rested his paws on her delicate shoulders.

"But Fox, I'm blue! Blue is not a normal color here…"

"Don't sweat it, Krys." Fox assured her. "Besides, you'll blend in with the ocean anyway!"

Krystal playfully punched Fox in the chest as he laughed. He strolled to the large window that overlooked the ocean. "Boy, it sure is wonderful to get away for a while. I remember the last time I came here was about four years ago…"

"Fox! Come here and look at this!" Krystal's apprehensive voice turned the fox around and led him to where she was standing. She was staring at her staff sitting in the couple's suitcase. It possessed a strange, faint yellow aura.

"What is it, Krys? What's wrong?"

Krystal warily picked up the staff and examined it. "I…don't remember." She rubbed her forehead trying to recall the reason her staff acted the way it did. "I know it's a response to a certain kind of evil, but to what I can't recall. It's been such a long time." All of a sudden the glowing ceased.

Fox took the staff and placed it in a duffel bag. "Well, let's take it just in case, but let's not try to think about it. We're here to relax, and that's what we're going to do."

Krystal sighed as she picked up the towels and duffel bag. "Right. Let's go."

As Krystal stepped out the door, she dropped one of the towels. Picking the towel up, her arm briefly brushed against another, its owner winced in reaction.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry." Krystal covered her mouth, hoping not to have injured the stranger. "Did I hurt you?" The stranger turned around, his blue eyes and white fur shone in the light of the hallway. The eyes had a threatening feel to them.

The stranger clutched his arm. "No. No, I'm fine." He said as he waved her off and walked away.

Fox appeared immediately thereafter. "What happened? Is something wrong?"

Krystal was about to answer when took a glimpse at her staff. It had that yellow glow again, and it was stronger this time. "No, nothing's wrong."

* * *

_"I don't have to go."_ Katt stared at her hairbrush. _"But I guess I do need to forget about Falco, at least for a while."_ Katt then looked in her mirror. Her red dress told everyone that tonight was no ordinary date. Her face all trimmed and dressed up, Katt took one deep breath and closed her eyes. It was now or never.

Katt parked her neon pink sports car across the street from the resort hotel. The Lylatian sun painted deep oranges, pinks and yellows across the sky while Katt glanced at a clock on a nearby bank. It was 6:50, ten minutes early. She rushed across the street and into the tall building, her red heels clacking against the marble floor as she approached the receptionist desk.

"Room 1035, please."

The sophisticated Doberman behind the desk picked up a phone and dialed the room number. As she waited, Katt felt a deep sense of longing in her chest for Falco. _"I wonder what Falco's doing right now."_ But after what she caught him doing, she couldn't possibly reconsider accepting a humble apology from him. Could she?

"Ma'am!" Katt jerked back to reality, clumsily trying to straighten out her dress. "You can go now. Just take the elevators straight ahead."

Katt thanked the receptionist and walked toward the elevator. Each step felt like taking a step back, as if she didn't want to continue. Yet, each step continued to take her forward, despite her mixed feelings. While in the elevator, each breath seemed to grow shorter and shorter as she ascended higher and higher – not from the altitude, of course, but from what she thought she was getting herself into.

At last the door opened, but Katt had to hold it open as she still debated whether or not to continue. She followed the signs on the wall – slowly but surely, as if time was slowing down – until she reached room 1035.

_"Katt, I don't know how you ever managed to get this far, but you haven't come this far just to turn back now."_ She told herself. She raised a paw to knock on the mahogany door, and paused. A nervous chill ran through her body; she could almost feel Angora standing on the other side of the door waiting for her to knock.

_"Something doesn't feel right about this."_ Katt blinked apprehensively. _"But what do I have to lose?"_ She knocked.

Almost immediately, Angora opened the door, taking Katt by surprise. "Ah, there you are, Katherine!" He said with a disarming smile. "And you're early too, I see!" He waved her in and soaked up the image of Katt's red dress. "Well, I wasn't expecting anything this formal but you still look fabulous."

_"Katt! Quit fiddling around and act normal, girl!"_ Katt took a deep breath as she took in all the glamorous visual aesthetics of the room before going into flirt mode. She kicked off her heels and lay on one of the beds. She rested her head on a paw and pulled the lower end of her dress down over the edge of the bed, showing off much of her long, sexy legs to her albino host.

"So tell me, babe," Katt tossed her white hair back, "what'd you wanna see little ol' me for, hmm?"

Angora sat down on the other bed, almost salivating from what he was looking at. "Isn't it obvious? I couldn't stop looking at you the moment you walked into the bar last night." Katt raised her brows and smiled in appreciation. "You're gorgeous!"

Katt daintily snorted. "Baby, gorgeous ain't the half of me! You're gonna have to do a lot better than that."

Angora smirked. "I see. If that's the case then, how would you describe yourself?"

Katt laughed. "Honey, I could go on for days!"

Angora sat silent for a moment. _"Hmm, this appears to be an easier task than I thought. Her trust will be easy for me to earn."_ Angora kneeled beside Katt's bed and gently grasped a paw. "So tell me, Katherine. How many suitors have had the magnificent luxury of holding your lovely hand?"

Katt smirked and cocked a brow, blushing a bit. She had Falco's name on her lips but held her tongue. "Who wants to know?"

Angora rose and sat next to Katt on her bed. "I am simply curious. You are a sensual young woman and I would like to know the lucky boy's name." Angora then placed a hefty paw on Katt's bare leg.

Katt didn't expect that. Her heart raced as she thought of a way to get Angora's paw off. _"Dammit, Katt. Hurry up and think of something!"_ In a flash, she lashed out with a paw and neatly, but sharply, slapped the large paw. Angora drew his paw back in pain as he looked back at Katt in shock. She stared back at Angora alluringly, waving a finger while slowly shaking her head.

"Uh-uh. Look but don't touch, sugar."

Angora slowly smiled and stood up, still rubbing the paw. "Ah, yes. You're the independent type, I see."

"Honey, unless I say otherwise, this work of art is off limits."

Angora continued to smile. "Would you like to get something to eat?"

Katt stood up, holding her arm out. "Lead the way."

Angora escorted Katt out of the room and into the elevator. Katt breathed a long sigh of relief, almost smiling at the fact she had no suspicions of Angora whatsoever. Had she really forgotten about Falco?

* * *

Perhaps she did. However, the same couldn't be said for Falco.

Falco lay face down on his messy bed, bloodshot eyes blended in with the red plumage around them. He tried going to sleep the previous night, but couldn't get Katt off his mind.

"Aw, shit. I really fucked myself this time." He scratched his blue headfeathers and stared at the floor. His cell phone sat within arm's reach, but hesitated picking it up.

_"I don't know if apologizing would help me any. I've probably already fucked myself too much to get a another chance, but I gotta try."_ Groggily, Falco picked the phone up off the floor and dialed Katt's mobile number.

* * *

"So is this Falco really as bad as you say he is?" Angora took a sip of wine at an outdoor café, admiring Katt's fair features.

Katt showed a faint smile, looking attentively at her fingers as they played across her vinyl handbag. "His morals are in the right place much of the time, but…" she quickly wiped away a tear forming in one of her eyes, "he just makes the most childish mistakes sometimes."

Angora's expression looked concerned. "Katherine, are you crying?"

Katt looked up, quickly wiping away another tear. "Huh? Oh, no, not at all." She smiled meekly and sniffed; a halfhearted giggle passed her tongue. "It's the food. Spicy."

"But…you haven't touched it yet."

Katt nervously fumbled for an excuse. Truth was, she already missed Falco, but she couldn't stop her heart from telling her otherwise. "Um, uh, it's the wind, y'know, blowing that spicy smell this way." She smiled timidly. _"Katt, who do you think you're kidding? You miss Falco and you know it!"_

Angora hid his suspicion under a blank face. "You look cold, my dear. Would you like my coat?"

Katt waved a paw casually. "No, thanks, babe. I'm fine…EEP!" Katt almost jumped out of her seat; the muffled ringing emanating from within her handbag startled her.

"What? What is it?" Angora asked with concern.

"Aw geez, I'm terribly sorry! I forgot to turn my cell phone off." Katt fumbled for the phone but managed it out and flipped it open. "Just a sec while I…" She trailed off, her vacant stare concentrated on the caller ID on the LCD screen. It was Falco. Katt's entranced stare was concentrated on the phone as it kept ringing monotonously. Her thumb slowly hovered over the 'answer' button but she let the phone ring until finally the ringing stopped.

"Katherine," Angora whispered, "is everything all right?"

Katt stared at the phone blankly. The message '1 missed call' blinked on the screen. "Yes, everything's fine."

* * *

Falco lay limp on his bed. His phone clattered on the floor, and his hopes of being forgiven faded away with two words.

'Call Failed.'

* * *

Room 1035 was dark. Even the light of Corneria's moon failed to penetrate the evil blackness.

"Master, have you earned the queen's trust yet?"

Angora gazed into the purple mist his mighty paws formed. "I am getting closer, Lord Cephil. Have patience."

Cephil beat his wings. "Yes, master."

"Cephil…"

"Yes?"

Angora lowered his voice to a slight rumble. "Find the one named Falco, and tell me where he lives."

"As you wish, master. May I ask why?"

A sly, wicked smile creased Angora's face. "I would like to meet him."

* * *

Ooh, scary! More comes in Chapter 3!


	3. Trying to Make Amends

Chapter 3: Trying to Make Amends

The picture was painful to look at.

Falco's expression in the picture was one he had not used in a long time. He and the flirtatious pink feline that once considered him a boyfriend looked happy in the picture; Falco was hugging Katt from behind and staring forward while Katt was staring affectionately at him.

Falco could make out the picture in the aura of the streetlight outside; he was wide-awake at 5:30 in the morning, unable to shake the memory of the despicable act that drove Katt away from him.

_"Should I go over there? I really need to get this guilt off my chest."_ He sat up and rubbed his stinging eyes, his palms slapping the mattress in frustration. _"What the hell am I thinking? Why kind of good would it do? I'm virtually screwed."_ These thought violently knocked around in his head as he paced his bedside and contemplated which decision he would ultimately choose. Rubbing his eyes once more, he threw on a white t-shirt and snatched a leather jacket out of his closet. His mind was made up.

_"This isn't going to work. What chance do I have?"_

* * *

Coincidentally enough, Katt Monroe was also awake. She was up preparing for her weekly workout, but the unanswered call from Falco still bothered her. She knew why he called, but something like what he did was something incapable of being forgiven. Still, a gut feeling lingered, one that told Katt to consider otherwise.

Baring sharp teeth with a huge yawn, Katt slipped on a black sports bra along with ridiculously short white silk shorts – shorts that revealed much of her sleek legs– with "Q-T" printed on the backside. She slung a short gray t-shirt over a shoulder and prepared a small breakfast in the kitchen of her single story house. She poured a glass of orange juice and heated up a blueberry muffin before sitting down at the small dining room table to put on her running shoes. Just as she removed the warm muffin from the microwave, the doorbell rang.

Katt looked at her watch, confused. _"Who could be here at 5:45 in the morning?"_ She quickly bit off half the muffin and cautiously walked to the door. Katt slipped on the gray shirt – "Bay-B Gal" printed across the chest in yellow letters– and peered into the peephole. A somewhat tall shadow stood waiting patiently on the sidewalk under the pale glow of the streetlight. The shape of the shadow was all too familiar to Katt; as she stared at the figure, her paws tensed in trying to restrain herself from clawing the door. "Falco, what the hell do you think you're doing?" She whispered to herself. Taking a deep breath, Katt quietly opened the door. She leaned against the doorway and crossed her arms with an impatient, yet stoic expression.

"What do want, Falco?"

Falco whipped around in surprise, not having heard Katt open the door. "Katt! Um, I, uh, I – I need to tell you something."

Katt remained still. "You show up on my doorstep at 5:45 a.m. because you wanted to tell me something? Why? What's to say? What's done is done."

"Please, Katt, just listen…"

Katt straightened up and pointed. "No, you listen! What you did really hurt me, Falco. I don't think I can…"

"Hey! Shut up! I'm trying to sleep!"

Katt glared at the anonymous neighbor briefly before fixing her stare on Falco again. "You're gonna have to explain yourself. Get in."

Falco trudged into the house; Katt slammed the door behind her as Falco slumped onto the soft loveseat and lowered his head, disappointment etched on his face. Katt paced in front of the adjacent couch, arms crossed once again. "Falco, what compelled you to do what you did?"

"Katt, please bear with me…"

"I'm through with bearing with you, Falco!" Katt fumed. "I've put up with some of your shit before, but I have had it with you!"

"Please, Katt. I'm very sorry…"

"Sorry for what? Sorry that you didn't tell me sooner that you were FUCKING MY SISTER? I bet that's what you were doing for the last three weekends, wasn't it?" Falco rubbed his eyes. Katt had just figured him out. "I should've known. I should've FUCKING KNOWN!" Katt angrily kicked over a stand of tray tables. "What the hell compelled you to do that?"

Falco fiddled nervously with some tassels on a pillow. "The Bistro, it – it's too expensive for me, and…" Falco lowered his head. "I virtually have no money."

"WHAT THE HELL?" Katt collapsed on the recliner. "Why didn't you SAY anything?"

Falco swallowed hard. "Celia was in town and…she promised to get my money back." Falco paused to look at Katt who was staring in disbelief. "The rest is history."

Katt pressed the heels of her paws into her eyes, stunned by the news. "Oh my g… Falco, how could you do this?" Katt was visibly shaken and appeared as if she was about to break into tears. "You could've said, 'Katt, I don't have a lot of money. Can we please go somewhere else?' But no! You allowed yourself to be swindled by my sister, who, by the way, still lives with mom and dad!" Her voice began quivering with utter heartbreak. "Falco, I'm a girl. It's my nature to like expensive things, but communication is key! I wouldn't have minded going somewhere else, but you need to tell me these things!" Now Katt was visibly crying. "None of this would be happening right now!"

Falco felt a weird feeling in his stomach. Despite his rough exterior, seeing Katt in such a distressed state put a knot in Falco's stomach. Katt had grown on him and he felt guilty whenever she appeared hurt. "Katt, I'm sorry. I really am…" Katt threw a paw up to stop him.

"Just leave, Falco." She thrust a finger toward the door.

"But…"

"LEAVE!" Katt buried her face in her legs and cried some more.

Falco slowly stood up, rubbing his eyes. _"Dammit, I just knew this wouldn't work."_ He walked to the door, passing Katt's huddled form as he reached for the handle. "Katt, please forgive…"

"Do me a favor and get out my life. I never want to see you again!"

Falco shut his eyes, utterly dejected and thoroughly depressed. He stepped out the door, letting a solitary tear trickle down his cheek.

* * *

_"Dammit, Falco. I told you it wouldn't work."_

That thought pounded his brain relentlessly the entire walk home. Problem was, he didn't want to go home, but he had nowhere else to go, with every one of his close peers preferring time to themselves. Late rent and the memory of him and Celia just angered him further.

_"I wonder if Fox and Krystal are home. Anywhere else is better than being in this hellhole."_ Falco thought as he sulked up the stairs to his floor. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a knock up ahead. Proceeding slowly, Falco saw the source of the knocking – a young white tomcat in a gray trench coat was knocking…on Falco's door.

"Dude, what the hell are you knocking on my door for?" Falco asked irritably.

The albino feline turned to Falco and smiled. "Ah, you must be Falco Lombardi. I'm glad to meet you." He extended a strong paw to the testy bird.

Falco slowly extended a hand toward the visitor. Something about him seemed odd. "Do I know you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Angora." Falco grasped Angora's paw and immediately grimaced as he felt Angora squeeze his hand tightly. "Your friend Katherine has told me a lot about you."

"Katt?" Falco lowered his brow in suspicion. "How do you know her?" Falco yanked away his sore hand and massaged it.

"She is just an acquaintance, but she is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." Falco noticed Angora's shit-eating grin. "Pity you treated her the way you did, my friend."

Falco was on the verge of fuming. "Look, pal. She may have told you my whole fucking life story for all I care, but I admit I did something wrong and I regret doing it."

Angora pursed his mouth. "You've got a bit of a temper there. Just don't let it get in the way of my plans."

Falco cocked a brow. "Plans? What kind of plans?"

Angora chuckled softly. "I can't tell you, but I'm sure your Katherine will be pleasantly surprised."

Falco was now glaring at Angora. He knew something was quirky about the white feline and wanted to warn Katt, but feared she wouldn't believe him. "Look, mister. Katt is a very special friend of mine and I'll be damned if I let you hurt her!"

Angora held his chin high, smiling. "Be careful what you say, mister Lombardi. It might come true." Falco kept his stern gaze locked on Angora as the cat walked away until he disappeared.

_"Damn him!"_ Falco slammed the door closed inside his messy apartment. _"I gotta warn Katt, but she won't talk to me anymore. I have to tell someone!"_ Falco pulled out his cell phone and dialed his best friend.

"Hello?"

"Fox, it's Falco."

"Hey, pal. What's up?"

"Are you and Krystal home yet?"

"Yeah. We just got in this morning."

"Good. I need to talk to you; it's important. I'll be right over."

* * *

KNOCK, KNOCK!

"Falco!"

Falco took off his sporty sunglasses. "Hey, Fox. I got here as soon as I could."

Fox closed the door after Falco entered. "You said it was important. What's wrong?"

Falco sat down on the couch. "I think Katt's in trouble but she doesn't realize it yet."

"What makes you say that?" Fox took a bite out of an apple and sat down across from his friend.

"I ran into this guy at my apartment who said knew her" Falco continued. "It looked like he had something…" Falco waved his hands around trying to find a certain word, "weird on his mind."

Fox noticed Krystal walking in with a towel wrapped around her, dripping wet. "Did he say anything?"

Falco watched Krystal sit down next to Fox. "He said he had a 'pleasant' surprise for her, and the way he said it sounded very foreboding."

Krystal crossed her legs. "What was his name? What did he look like?"

"His name was Angora and he was a white cat in a gray trench coat." Falco said. "Why?"

"Because I bumped into someone at the resort hotel the other day who looked just like that." Krystal said. "My staff reacted to him."

"I take it that's not a good thing."

"It only reacts the way it did when it encounters a certain kind of evil." Krystal informed Falco. "But I don't recall what kind of evil."

Fox grinned, hoping to cheer Falco up. "Wow, Falco. Your intuition is actually right this time!"

"Dammit, Fox. Katt's in trouble and I need you to help me!" Falco shouted.

Fox replaced his smile with a look of concern. "Okay, okay. What do you want us to do?"

Falco calmed his tone of voice. "I need you to warn Katt for me."

"Why us?"Fox asked. Falco slouched back and looked away. Fox saw the look on his face and knew immediately what was wrong. "You had an argument, didn't you?"

Although Falco didn't answer, his expression proved Fox correct. "Fox, please do this for me. I lost her trust because I made the worst mistake of my life."

"Falco, you got yourself into this mess; you're gonna have to get yourself out of it."

"But she'll believe you!" Falco pleaded. "She's known you longer than she has me!"

Krystal grabbed one of Fox's paws and whispered to him. "Fox, we really should help him. Falco's really distressed about this."

Fox rubbed his temples. He was really hoping Falco would take care of the problem himself. "Okay, Falco. We'll see what we can do and tell you if we find anything."

Falco displayed a look of indifference, too depressed to show any hint of emotion. "Cool. Later."

* * *

Katt sulked on her bed. She had been hoping to work out, but Falco showing up with the news he brought took all her energy away. The day definitely did not start out the way Katt had hoped; nothing, she believed, was going to rescue her from her emotional funk. Too bad the day wasn't over.

DING DONG!

The pink feline moaned. "Go away! I don't wanna talk to you!" She turned over and hid her head under her pillow. She didn't, however, hear the front door open and close quickly. Katt jerked up when a familiar paw touched her back. Angora stood in front of her with a paw hidden behind him. Katt clumsily wiped her eyes dry as she sat up.

"Good morning, Katherine." Angora said with a disarming smile. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

Katt attempted to straighten her wavy white hair. "No, no, uh, of course not, babe. Come right in." She attempted a weak smile when she saw Angora hiding something behind him. "You got a present for me, hon?"

Angora whipped the present out from behind him. What he held in his paw was a magnificent floral bouquet of arrow-leaved violets. "Surprised?"

Katt was awestruck. Her blue eyes were wide with amazement as she took the flowers in her trembling paws. "Oh, Angora. They're amazing!" She inhaled deeply the sweet aroma and sighed. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Angora sat down next to Katt and hugged her close with one arm. She felt incredibly warm in his hold. "Katherine, I deeply regret that you have suffered through this troublesome episode." He grinned slyly. "But I want you to know that you can trust me with anything."

* * *

Fox frowned and shook his head. He and Krystal sat in his dark-colored sports car across the street from Katt's house. _"Falco, you really need to take care of your own problems."_ Fox pulled his hi-def device from the backseat and focused on the house. They had followed the ominous signal from Krystal's staff.

"I hope this guy shows up soon, Krys. I'd like to see what we're up against."

Krystal pounded a fist on the dashboard in frustration. "Damn! I know I've encountered this feeling before, but where?"

Fox continued to look on in hopelessness. All of a sudden, he saw him. Angora walked out the door with an ugly, satisfied grin. Fox anxiously tapped Krystal's shoulder. "There he is! I see him! Get down, quick!" Krystal ducked out of sight and Fox did the same but kept his leery stare on the white feline as Angora walked by. Fox narrowed his eyes as something on Angora caught his eye: two abnormal bumps in the back of trench coat. _"Oh, damn. We're dealing with some sort of freak!"_

"Fox, is everything okay? Is he gone?" Fox turned and saw worry written in Krystal's aqua-blue eyes.

Fox looked back out the car. "Yeah. He's…" BEEEEP! Bewildered, Fox reached into the console for his cell phone.

"Fox, what are you doing outside my house?" It was Katt. She was peering through the blinds and down the road where Fox's car was located.

The vulpine was struck dumb. "Katt! Uh, um, I uh…" Fox continued trying to utter an excuse while Katt snickered from her house. Krystal just shook her head.

"Fox, you're a terrible liar, so save it. What do you want?"  
Fox was about to answer when Krystal interrupted. "Can we come in?"

"Oh, hi Krys. I guess you can since you guys are already here."

Krystal and Fox emerged from the car and walked the ½ block to Katt's house. As they approached, Krystal kept a steady paw near her staff, ready for anything suspicious.

* * *

"Well, Fox. What's the problem?" Katt straightened out her workout shirt and sat on the couch. Krystal, on the other hand, went to investigate other parts of the house. "Where is she going?"

Fox sat down next to Katt, ignoring the second question. "Look, Katt. I won't beat around the bush. We're here about your boyfriend."

"Angora?" Katt sounded surprised. "How do you know him?"

"Falco ran into him this morning and told me."

Katt snorted at the sound of her ex's name and spoke in contempt. "Oh, he told you THAT, but did he tell you he CHEATED on me?"

Fox grimaced. "Ouch. No he didn't. Sorry."

"Don't apologize for him." Katt snapped. "He stuck me in the gutter for a month while he…" She stopped when Fox rested a paw on her shoulder.

"Katt, I know you're mad at Falco, but he's not what's important right now. We're here about Angora."

"What about him?"

"We think he has something bad planned for you."

Katt's voice said she was not convinced, but smiled anyway. "Really? What else did Falco tell you to say?"

Fox sighed. "Katt, please. You're one of my best friends. Falco cares about you as much as I do and he wouldn't have warned me if he didn't care."

Katt looked away from Fox's stare. "Fox, I love you as a friend, but after what Falco did to me, I can't trust him anymore."

Fox scooted closer to Katt and put an arm around her. "But I do. Don't you care anymore that he's worried about your safety?"

"If he's so worried about me, then why doesn't he tell me himself?"

Fox had to think for a moment. "Because he's afraid you won't talk to him anymore."

Countless feelings of longing raced through Katt's heart and body, but maintained composure. She wasn't going to let Falco's seemingly empty warnings affect her. "If that bird thinks I'll just forget every rotten thing he's done, then he better think again! Angora's treated me better than that jackass ever has!" She threw Fox's arm off and began crying. Fox bent over and hugged the depressed feline, speaking softly.

"Katt, you have every reason to be mad at Falco, but I trust him, and you trust me. Right?" Katt slowly nodded. "At least be careful. We all care about you and we'd feel guilty if something happened to you. Could you do that, please?"

Katt turned and looked at Fox through teary eyes, smiling. "You bet, babe."

Smirking, Fox patted Katt's back as he stood up, just as Krystal emerged from one of the rooms. She had something in her hand but waited until she and Fox had left before showing him.

"Look at this, Fox." Krystal said. She held up the object – one of the bouquet flowers.

Fox shrugged. "It's an arrow-leaved violet. So what?"

"Smell it, Fox."

Fox reluctantly inhaled the fragrance; it was extremely sweet and smelled sugary. "Damn, that's a strong odor!"

"It's also not normal." Krystal stated. "Violets don't smell as much as these do."

Fox rubbed his chin. "I'm willing to bet this violet didn't come from Corneria."

"Then where did it come from?"

Fox grinned as he stepped into his car. "I know just the hare who knows!"

* * *

"Master! Master! We have disturbing news!" Lord Cephil appeared panicked inside the purple mist.

Angora sat in the dark corner of his hotel room. "Calm yourself, Cephil. What is it?"

Cephil calmed somewhat but still appeared worried. "Your queen, sir! Someone is trying to take away your queen!"

Displeasure etched itself on Angora's face. "What? Who is it?"

"His name is Fox McCloud, master. He has close contacts with your queen."

Although the news disturbed Angora somewhat, he appeared calm. "I am not worried, Cephil. Everything will be fine."

Cephil was perplexed. "But your queen, master! McCloud wishes to steal your queen! How can everything be fine?"

A diabolic smile pierced Angora's slim mouth. "Because tonight's the night."

* * *

More to come in Chapter 4!


	4. Sneak Attack

Sorry for the long wait. With school and all, I'm having a real difficult time moving this story along, but I finally got around to it this week (10/17-10/22).

All Starfox-related characters, names and places are © Nintendo/Rare. All other characters are © to me.

Chapter 4: Sneak Attack

As usual, Corneria's military base was heavily bustling. Officers of different species speckled the landscape performing their various duties. Fox parked his vehicle on the western side of the base where the hangar was located. Here he hoped to find out how the mysterious flowers and the albino feline Angora were connected. Krystal hung on Fox's arm, eager to discover the mystery herself and finally recollect the memories of her vague encounters with Angora's sinister aura. As they stepped inside the enormous hangar, a waft of cooler breeze greeted them, a far cry from the hot, humid air outside. Peppy was talking with General Pepper while Slippy was on his back tinkering with the underbelly of a random arwing fighter. The battle-scarred Great Fox dominated the building; the hangar had to be built around the massive vessel it was so big.

Fox waited near the hangar doors for Pepper to leave before he ventured further. Fox preferred not to engage in conversation with the general for the simple reason that Pepper would make a fuss about Fox's incentive for coming. When one talked with the general, he normally coaxed out the reason for coming. He was also adept at seeing through lies – something Fox was always a bit nervous about. When Pepper finally left, Fox walked in, but didn't get much more than halfway inside before Peppy noticed him and Krystal.

"Hey, Fox. Nice to see you again! What brings you two here?"

Krystal removed the odd flower from her jeans pocket and gave it to Fox. He then gave it to Peppy. "It looks like an ordinary violet, but it has a real sweet-smelling odor and I don't think it's from anywhere near here. Perhaps you would know where it came from?"

"ACHOOO!" Peppy sneezed and snorted in front of Slippy's dropping the tool he was holding. The sneeze startled the toad that he dropped whatever he was holding right between the eyes. Peppy continued despite Slippy's colorful language. "Yes, it definitely doesn't smell like a normal violet." The elderly hare inspected the flower thoroughly and sighed. "I don't know, Fox. I don't recognize it from anywhere. However, we could take this down to research and find out more there."

Fox sighed. "That'll do. Will Slippy be fine here by himself?"

Peppy looked at the beleaguered amphibian struggling with a hatch on the underside of the arwing. "It shouldn't be long."

"Okay then, let's go."

* * *

The research lab wasn't located very far from the hangar; it was by far the largest room in the main building. Walking into the lab was like floating high in the air because everything was a different shade of blue – except the researchers themselves, of course. A female hare approached the trio; from the joyous look on her face – she appeared to be a much younger relative of Peppy's. Much taller than he, she stooped down and embraced the older hare. Relinquishing the embrace, Peppy turned to his two escorts and introduced them in a semi-hoarse voice.

"Krystal, Fox, this is my niece, Rose. She's worked here for a while but I believe this is the first time either of you have met her."

The auburn-furred Rose approached the famous pilot, anticipation and nervousness in her voice as she shook his paw. "Wow, Fox McCloud. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. How can I be of assistance today?" Rose's pink nose twitched briefly before she quickly rubbed it away.

Fox released his grip. "Krystal here found a unique flower." He gestured toward Peppy, who revealed the violet to his niece. "I know it looks like an ordinary violet, but its smell isn't what it's supposed to be."

Rose took the flower and sniffed. Her hazel eyes grew wide in surprise. "That's odd. It smells like chocolate."

"Chocolate?" The three others said in unison.

Rose scratched her chin as she walked over to Krystal. "Where did you find this flower?"

"In the bedroom of our friend's house. Why?"

Rose smiled and took a pair of glasses out of her lab coat and rested them on her face. "Let me put it this way: what does chocolate plus a bedroom equal?"

Fox, Krystal and Peppy appeared somewhat dumbfounded. Fox scratched his head. "Uh, I'm drawing a blank, Rose. What're you talking about?"

Rose flashed a dainty smile. "Sex."

Looks of shock replaced looks of confusion. "Say what?" Peppy asked.

"Silly uncle Peppy," Rose laughed, "chocolate is an aphrodisiac. I thought you knew that!" Rose nudged her slipping glasses back up on her nose. "It's the most potent kind and extremely effective."

Fox pointed behind Rose at a small contraption wired to the computer. "What's that thing?"

Rose took the violet flower from Peppy and opened the door on the front of the cubical device. She delicately placed the violet in the center of the machine's cavity and closed the door. Sitting down at the computer, Rose entered some commands into the computer and initiated a program. Light shone through the tinted window as the device slowly hummed.

"What is it doing?" Krystal asked.

Rose cleaned a smudge on her glasses with one of her sleeves. "That machine is scanning all the physical and olfactory properties of that flower and is attempting to match them with the corresponding records in our database. We have records of all known plant life in the Lylat System; if it exists, we have a file on it." Rose frowned as she read the results on the computer screen. She sighed and scratched the back of her head. "Unfortunately for you guys, I can't find a record of anything resembling a plant with this flower's exact properties." Rose sat back in her chair and bit her lower lip in thought.

"Could it have come from outside the Lylat System?" Fox asked.

Rose shrugged. "That's the only possibility I can think of. This computer only has records of plant life within the Lylat System. No one we've recruited has been willing to explore other parts of the galaxy." Rose stood up and removed the flower from the machine.

With time to think, finally, Krystal thought of the equation Rose had stated earlier. _"If the scent of those flowers is meant to arouse sexual behavior, and if that white cat took those flowers to Katt…"_ Krystal gasped in horror. She pulled Fox close and whispered to him. "Fox! I know what Angora is! He's…"

KRABOOOOM! Before Krystal could explain, the roof violently exploded, sending a shower of debris onto everyone in the lab. What emerged from the jagged hole in the ceiling was extremely ugly. Four bipedal bat-like creatures landed with a ground-shaking thud. Chaos and bedlam ensued as a monstrous screech echoed from each of the monsters' forked tongues.

Peppy reached for his blaster. "What the heck IS that thing?"

Fox motioned for the two girls to get behind him and unsheathed his own blaster. "I don't know, but it's about to eat some of my blaster!" He aimed his weapon at the head of one of the monsters that was wrecking havoc on the lab and on the other scientists. Three quick blasts from Fox's blaster struck the beast hard. The creature recoiled, but its white eyes glowed with rage as it bared its long yellow fangs at its attacker. Before Fox or Peppy could get off another shot, the monstrosity lashed out a seemingly frail arm and knocked the four back with surprising force and strength. Rose bore the grunt of the blow, being in the very back and viciously striking her head on the edge of a cabinet, knocking her out.

Fox sat amidst the dust of the debris, looking around frantically but couldn't find his blaster. While the other three creatures lay waste to the lab, Fox's attacker loomed over him with fetid breath blowing mercilessly in his face. Spotting his blaster within feet of his position, Fox rolled to the side, but he wasn't quick enough. With a clawed hand, the bat creature swiped up the vulpine with ease and attempted to squeeze the breath out of him. Struggling frantically, Fox tried kicking the beast in its skinny chest. The beast winced from the force of the kicks and at last violently hurled Fox hard to the littered floor. "GAAAH!" The fox instantly grabbed his left arm; it had landed on a jagged shard of glass on the floor and opened a gash; the blood was now soaking through his jacket. Fortunately for him, he was right next to his blaster.

_"Great! Maybe now I can put this thing away!"_ Fox aimed the blaster straight toward the monster's ribbed chest and fired. Fox's expression turned grim when he saw the green flash disappear into the creature's gummy flesh. The creature snarled, swiping at Fox again but this time he managed to avoid the monstrous claw and duck out of sight behind an island counter. Fortunately, the other monsters did not see him. _"What the hell are these things made of?"_ Fox held his breath, for one not to give away his position, but also not to inhale the putrid breath of the monster. Working cautiously, Fox crept around the island, staying ahead of the monster's advances. When he approached the area where he left his three companions, however, Krystal was missing, while Peppy and Rose lay unconscious. Fox felt his heart skip a beat when a foreign paw covered his mouth and pulled him back into darkness.

"Krystal?" Fox whispered in surprise.

"Quiet! I lost my staff and I'm trying to find it."

"But what about Rose and Peppy?" Fox asked.

"If I tried to wake them, I'd be putting their lives at risk. Those creatures out there think they're dead. I know it sounds selfish, but I had little choice, Fox."

"I suppose I understand. Where are we anyway?"

"We're in an empty storage cabinet." Krystal replied. "I'm waiting for an opportunity to retrieve my staff from those monsters." She slowly reopened the cabinet door and looked to one side; it was clear…or so she thought. In a flash, a giant claw snatched Krystal by the head and yanked her out of her hiding place. The monster raised her to eye level and grinned maliciously, yellow fangs and all; the putrid stench flaring from the creature's nostrils wafted Krystal in the face.

"UGH! LET GO, YOU FOUL BEAST!" Krystal flailed arms and legs relentlessly as Fox peeked out of the cabinet. Oddly enough, smoke began seeping from between Krystal's head and the creature's large claw. In a screech of pain, the monster dropped the Cerinian hard to the floor and shook its claw furiously. The other three creatures in the room became alerted to their companion's plight and rushed over as quickly as possible. Fox jumped out to keep the creatures at bay.

"Krystal, are you okay?" Fox knelt down and helped Krystal to her feet.

Krystal pointed to the attacker's injured claw; the gummy flesh on the claw had been singed clean off. "Apparently they can't touch me." She realized.

"That's good to know." Fox replied. "I'll stay close and help you look for the staff."

The lab was quite large, and this made the search more difficult than either Fox or Krystal had hoped. Jumping through a broken window at the front of the lab, The two foxes maneuvered around the injured bodies of scientists and security guards and ultimately found the staff resting on top of a security officer.

"Ah, yes. Here it is!" Krystal exclaimed in excitement, but the excitement didn't last. Before Krystal had a chance to pick the staff up, she and Fox felt a violent shove from behind.

"GUHHH!" They both stumbled forward. Krystal's foot caught on a prone body and she crashed forward. Fox tumbled ahead, screaming when he landed on his injured arm. Howling in apparent triumph, one of the monsters ripped a nearby water fountain out of the wall and advanced toward its prone victims.

Krystal pushed herself up on her paws and knees, rubbing her head. Woozy at first, she shook her head but found a dark shadow approaching her. She quickly rolled over and saw the closest of the three monsters raising the now mangled water fountain over its head. Water spilled out of the twisted pipe in the wall and created a small puddle where the bat creature was standing. The other two creatures retrieved objects as well; one had a fire extinguisher, while the other pursued something much bigger – a golf cart.

Not removing her sapphire stare off the hideous beasts, Krystal reached back for where she thought her staff was, but was stricken with shock when she turned and found it missing again, but then saw it lying next to Fox, who was still attempting to recover. "Fox! Hurry and grab my staff, quickly!"

Realizing where he was, Fox achingly pushed himself up to a kneeling position and picked the staff up. The monster with the fountain saw him and instead of dropping it on Krystal, unleashed it at Fox. Thinking fast, Fox dodged out of the way, the water fountain denting the linoleum floor as it crashed harmlessly. That gave Krystal an opening. She leapt at the monster in a screaming fury. "YAAHHHH!" She latched onto the creature's upper torso, planting her paws on the monster's face.

The monster screeched long and loud; wherever fur touched thick skin, the mere touch burned the flesh off in agonizing pain. The creature staggered about the hall, flailing its arms blindly through the curling smoke. At the risk of singing the flesh off his other claw, the creature grabbed the blue vixen by the scruff of the neck and dropped her among the other unconscious bodies. However, Fox had already fired an energy blast at the creature. Due to its size, the monster had limited movement and had trouble maneuvering. The blue energy ultimately struck the beast hard in the chest. Almost instantly, the beast exploded into a cloud of dust. Now all that was left were the other two creatures.

Fox sank to a knee from the lack of energy, but had little time to rest; the fire extinguisher came out of the dust cloud like a missile aiming for his head. On instinct, Fox ducked, but the staff unleashed another energy blast toward the incoming projectile. Seeing this, Krystal jumped back into the demolished lab just in time for the two combustible elements to explode on contact. The vociferous blast blew Krystal forward, into the air and over one of the island counters, knocking over glass test tubes and flasks. Some of the glass cut her on her legs and abdomen as she landed on her back. She sat up holding her back, now sore and held a bruised hand to the wound on her stomach. Ominous footsteps pounded the ground behind her. Krystal turned and saw the final monster carrying the golf cart with effortless ease. Body wracked with pain, Krystal stood up defiantly. Roaring, the monster raised the cart to drop on the vixen, but Krystal painfully dodged the large projectile as she rolled to one side. However, something was amiss – the cart didn't crash. Looking up, Krystal saw the cart still in the monster's claw-like hand; it had merely swiped at her with it. Lying prone on the ground and without a weapon, Krystal scurried backwards on her paws but found her back against a cabinet door. The monster raised the cart again to crush the vixen. She covered her head, closed her eyes and prayed for the best.

PSSSSSH! CRASH! Krystal heard the cart crash, but realized she was still alive. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw Fox, face and body covered in soot and ash, standing over a pile of dust, handing the staff back to Krystal.

"Krystal, are you okay?" Fox stated with concern. "They're all dead."

Despite her dirty face, Krystal's face glowed with happiness and relief. Fox helped her up, but in her weak state fell to the ground on top of him. Despite their awkward position, the two foxes stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like the longest of times.

"PEPPY!" Fox shot upright before the situation got any more intimate. Krystal quickly scrambled off Fox and assisted him to a standing position.

"Where are he and Rose?" Krystal asked.

"There they are." Fox pointed to where the two unconscious hares sat.

"Fox! Krystal!" A familiar high-pitched voice followed. Slippy came stumbling in, obviously out of breath. "What happened? I got here as soon as I could!"

Slippy rushed over to Peppy and helped Fox support him while Krystal assisted Rose. "Slippy, I couldn't tell you what that…that thing was."

"Well I do, at least now." Krystal responded as she helped Rose up. "But we best revive these two first. They'll need to hear everything."

* * *

Like an army of ants, lines of police cars zoomed past the avian biker with sirens blaring loudly. Falco kept his attention divided between the road and the passing vehicles, curious as to what was so important that was behind him. Although he had asked Fox to apologize to Katt for him, he still felt obligated to tell the pink feline himself how he felt, not to mention a feeling of doubt eating a hole in his morale.

_"What if she didn't believe him? I haven't heard from Fox yet so I can only hope he simply forgot to tell me. I'll just have to find out for myself."_

Falco sighed as he approached the turn lane. He knew what he was doing was risking further humiliation, but he just had to discover his dilemma for himself. He slowly motored down the neighborhood road. Falco obviously wasn't in any hurry to get disgraced again. Before long, Katt's abode greeted him, but with an eerie aura; something wasn't right and Falco could feel it in the pit of his stomach. He parked his bike next to Katt's sleek sports car.

"Well, she's probably already seen me now, no sense in chickening out." Falco muttered to himself. He took his helmet with him to the door and knocked. No answer. _"Maybe she's asleep. I'll try her phone."_ Falco pulled out his mobile phone and dialed her home phone. With each missed dial tone, Falco grew more and more impatient. He was determined to talk to Katt today. Frustrated, he stuffed his phone back into his tan jacket. He thought of one final option, but he could only hope it would work. He turned the knob. Unlocked. _"Odd, Katt never leaves the door unlocked."_ Falco ventured into the feline's house, the unsettling atmosphere continued to bother him. He never had this feeling before and it was beginning to scare him.

"Katt? Are you home? It's me, Falco. We really need to talk." Silence. "Katt, I'm really sorry for acting the way I did and I wanna make it up to you." Still silence. The dead quiet chilled Falco's nerves as he approached a nearby hallway. Katt's room was at the very end and with every step toward it Falco grew more and more nervous.

"Katt, I…" Falco peered into the room and instantly froze in horror. Katt's bedroom had been completely trashed. Mirrors were broken, blankets littered the floor, shreds of fur and clothes lay everywhere, and deep claw marks were in the carpet. "KATT! Please answer me!" Panicked, Falco searched in the closet and under the bed. No Katt Monroe.

"Stay calm, Falco. Everything's fine…" Falco uttered as he sat hopelessly on the bed. "Aw hell, WHO AM I KIDDING? NOTHING IS FINE! THIS IS ALL MY FAULT!" Falco shot back up and pounded a pair of blue, feathery fists down on the disheveled nightstand. He raised his fists to pound back down again but noticed something red on the side of his right fist. He sniffed it – dried blood. Looking around the room, small splotches of blood dotted the white walls. Something else caught Falco's keen eye. On the same right sleeve, a small tuft of pink fur. Catching his eye on the nightstand was a tuft of white fur. Falco began seething; he now knew who was to blame. He bunched his feathered hand into a fist and shook with uncontrollable rage.

"Angora…" Falco muttered. "ANGOORRRRAAAAAAA!"

* * *

Stay tuned for Chapter 5!


	5. Dark Identity

1/19/05: Finally, another update! Sorry about the UBER-long delay (swamped with college work).

WARNING: As a precaution, I warn some readers thatthere is a bit of a "dirty" scene in the flashback. It doesn't go into extreme detail, but if anyone feels uncomfortable reading such material, feel free to skip ahead in the chapter.

Disclaimer: Starfox and all its names, places and characters are © of Nintendo/Rare. All other names, places and characters are © of the author and may not be used without permission. Any similarities herein to names, places, characters or anything else belonging to any other author is purely coincidental.

Chapter 5: Dark Identity

Like a group of battered soldiers, Fox, Krystal, Peppy and Rose sat outside in the hangar while investigators inspected the disaster inside. Bandaged and bruised, they watched in silence the parade of unconscious bodies toward the ambulances waiting nearby. Slippy was uncharacteristically quiet, too shocked at what happened to say anything.

Rose brushed some dust off her blue lab coat and adjusted the ice pack on her swathed head. "What _were_ those things?"

Krystal stared at the ground, holding a paw to her wrapped abdomen. "Minions." She said with a hint of malice. "Those were minions and they were sent to kill me."

"_Kill_ you?" Slippy finally burst out. "Why would they want to kill _you_?"

Krystal was silent for a brief moment while Fox placed an arm over her shoulders as if to protect her. "It's a long story. I'll tell you when we have time."

Peppy looked at his watch. "It's 3:30 p.m., and it doesn't look like we're going anywhere anytime soon."

Krystal sighed. "Very well. It happened about three years ago…"

* * *

In the midst of the ebony blanket of space, a Cerinian craft wandered sluggishly on autopilot while its young vixen pilot sat all by her lonesome. Her most recent endeavor to discover the reasons behind her planet's destruction once again had failed miserably.

_"I don't know how much more I can take of this."_ Krystal thought. _"I'm no closer to solving this mystery than when I started."_ Holding her legs to her chest, Krystal buried her face into them, crying uncontrollably. _"I don't know where to go. I have no home anymore."_ The cerulean vixen slowly lifted her puffy-eyed gaze skyward; what once were turquoise pools of beauty and serenity had now become stained with tears of anger and resentment.

"WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?" Krystal shouted at the top of her lungs, but it hurt to even do that; constantly shouting toward the heavens in hopes that a higher power would convey some semblance of pity toward her had taken its toll. The vixen slowly stood up and supported herself against the thick interior hull of the ship, massaging her irritated throat.

Except for the humming of the plasma engines, the ship lay in silence. Wincing with an irritable cough, Krystal walked over to several moderate-sized crates stored near the back of the ship; the planet she had just visited was generous enough to supply her with food and drink rations. Oddly enough, nowhere else she had gone on her journey had done such an unselfish deed and Krystal couldn't figure out why…

The vixen opened one of the crates and removed a small round container. It had a drink inside that Krystal hoped would soothe her exasperated throat. The unique brew had a pleasant flavor to it, similar to that of a daiquiri. Krystal rested herself on the metal floor again, closing her eyes and leaning her head back, allowing the cool substance to slide down her esophagus. The drink ultimately caused her to relax and, for the first time in a long time, forget about her search. Having searched as long as she had, she deserved a break.

Later…

With drink still in hand, Krystal lay huddled next to one of the food crates, her sleeping form all but motionless. Eyes slowly fluttering open, Krystal pushed herself up to a seated position, stretching her arms and baring her sharp teeth in a loud yawn.

"Ohhhh, how long was I out?" Krystal muttered to herself; she had rested for the better part of four hours. She stood up and walked to the ship's cockpit to determine where exactly she was. "Where in the bloody universe am I?"

Her train of thought was interrupted when a pulsating yellow glow from under her seat caught her attention. Krystal stooped down to reach for the source of the glow and it happened to be her ornate staff. Krystal sat down in her seat and inspected the glow with a confused look on her face. _"My staff has never done this before. What could be causing it?"_

As soon as she finished that thought, a loud thud slammed into the side of her ship, knocking Krystal to the ground. Standing up, she almost instantly saw an odd-shaped creature fly into her sight toward a small gray orb in the distance. Without another word, Krystal strapped herself in and fired up the engines. Whether or not this creature would help her on her quest, she did not know, but Krystal was determined to find out.

Krystal eventually reached the mysterious gray planet, following inconspicuously behind the winged creature that rammed her ship. Looking down at the planet, her stomach twisted into knots at the ominous vibe the veiled planet emanated; her staff was now pulsing like crazy. Taking one final breath, she zoomed forward into the murky mist, unaware of what would greet her.

As she steered through the planet's atmosphere, Krystal took a glance at a nearby screen. "Hmm, no signs of life anywhere. I suppose all these clouds are messing with the sensors." Waves of gray and white zoomed past her ship; the layer of clouds had to be at least ten miles thick. Any source of interplanetary light seemingly had a snowball's chance in hell of penetrating the dirty fog. Ultimately breaking through the layer of clouds, Krystal was welcomed with a plethora of gray: gray sky, gray clouds, and gray mountains. Constant black lightning created a spider web of darkness across the malevolent heavens. Coasting over the dismal landscape, Krystal couldn't find any sign of the creature she followed, not like she had anywhere to land, though. The entire surface of the planet was composed of razor-sharp, needlelike ridges – not a smooth stretch of land anywhere. All Krystal could do was sigh.

"Just my luck. Just my bloody luck to be misled once again…" but something caught her eye. In an area where the land sloped steeply, a large gaping hole appeared, and it was big enough for her ship to fit. With a slight glimmer of hope in her eyes, she urged the ship toward the dark cavity. Once inside the cavity, a sharp force yanked the ship downward until the craft landed hard on the rocky floor. Opening the craft's door, Krystal held her staff ready, illuminating the dark world around her. Everything around her was virtually pitch black, save for minute specks of what looked like an odd sort of light. Krystal tiptoed closer to inspect the source of this odd light. What she saw were sconces attached to the walls with small black lightning bolts fitted neatly inside them. The bolts emitted a grayish light bright enough to illuminate the path, which revealed a spread out network of pathways and chambers inside an enormous cave. Tiptoeing further, Krystal tightened her grip on her pulsing staff; ready to attack anything that approached her. Her ears suddenly twitched, and she quickly turned around to confront her attacker, but saw no one. Continuing down one of the paths, Krystal's ears twitched again and still found no attacker…. CRACK! The end of a weapon smacked Krystal hard in her left temple before she had a chance to defend herself. Before she sank into black unconsciousness, the image of her attacker loomed in front of her, a sinister, yellow-eyed bat-like creature…

"Excuse me."

Krystal blinked. "Hmm?"

"Excuse me, are you a Cerinian?"

The vixen winced from the pain in her head, unaware of her position. "Yes. Who are you?"

The other voice laughed. "I thought so. My minions had the most difficult time bringing you in here."

"Huh? How?" Krystal was still groggy from the hit she took to her head.

"You see, my beautiful captive," the captor said with a low tone of voice, "my kind cannot touch Cerinians; our flesh would burn right off."

Krystal tried to move but her wrists, ankles and neck were bound to a stone table by strange glowing cuffs – the same glow from which the black lightning emanated, and the same sorts of lamps that lined the walls to give the room a faint glow. "What's going on? Who are you? Why am I here?"

The source of the voice walked out of the darkness. With the head of a bat, the figure had a male body with strong, wiry wings protruding from the thick leather hide of his back. He walked on his toes, which extended into long, wide feet. In all, the creature looked like a gargoyle. From his size, Krystal deduced that he was perhaps the leader of the pack. "My, my, my, aren't we feisty?" The creature grinned, exposing sharp, yellowing fangs. "But that's what I adore about my future queen."

Krystal blinked in disbelief. "Queen? I'm not going to be _anyone's_ queen, you freak! Lemme go!"

The creature stood at Krystal's head and slowly caressed Krystal's bangs with a gnarled hand. "As far as who I am, dear, I am Zolao, Proclaimed Ruler of Incubus."

Krystal looked at Zolao in horror. "Incubus? You're an incubus?"

Zolao sighed and held up a black talisman. "See this? It's been created out of our own black lightning; it is the only thing that can keep physical contact with you from burning my hand off! It only works for me, but once you become my queen, it'll work for all my minions!"

"Look, I'm not the 'queen' you want, so you might as well just let me go!" Krystal demanded irritably.

"Unfortunately for you, I can't do that." Zolao said with a menacing grin. "You would tell others who we are, and they would come to destroy us. Do you really think I want that to happen?"

Krystal's breaths were becoming more audible with anger. "You let me go and I assure you I won't tell a soul of your existence."

Zolao turned away and swiveled his head around. "I'm sorry, but once you lay eyes on this place, it's the last place you ever see."

Krystal's eyes narrowed with anger. "You sadistic bastard! I will kill you!"

Zolao shook his head. "You are full of empty promises. I'm afraid I must take your life." The incubus leaned over Krystal, his foul breath in her face. "But allow me this one final satisfying moment before I kill you."

Hovering over the prone vixen, Zolao strolled nonchalantly around the stone table on which she lay, surveying his captive with a perverse interest. Leaning forward slightly, Zolao took a long sniff, a satisfied smile pursing his mouth. "You are a virgin, correct?" Krystal remained silent while continuing to glare into the demon's beady eyes; her stare followed Zolao to where the incubus stood over her loins with an eager glint in his expression. Without the slightest feeling of guilt, Zolao grasped the vixen's loincloth and flung it over Krystal's abdomen to expose her procreative region.

"You've got a lot of nerve doing this to me, you pervert!" Krystal spat.

Zolao's expression didn't waver as he rested a claw dangerously close to his captive's nether-regions. "I am utterly surprised that a creature so beautiful such as yourself has yet to indulge in such wonderful carnal fantasies, but I suppose this will have to do." With that, he shoved two long fingers into the vixen's vaginal cavity and began probing. Krystal clenched her eyes shut and jerked around as much as possible to encourage a stoppage of the lascivious abuse, but this only egged him on further; Krystal's body tensed up at the slightest touch of Zolao's appendages against the sensitive inner walls of her loins.

Zolao gave the vixen a wicked smile. "Did you like that?"

Krystal sneered. "Go to hell!"

The demon's expression turned sour and he violently yanked the claw-like fingers out of the vixen, causing her to wince in pain. Zolao now stood at her head and held the drenched appendage over the vixen's face. Krystal wrinkled her snout and turned her head to one side, unable to withstand her own musky odor. Zolao held his hand over Krystal's face and allowed the stench to infiltrate the vixen's nostrils. Krystal snorted to keep the odor out of her nose, but it didn't seem to be working.

"How do you like _this_?" Zolao taunted with a wide smirk. Krystal's eyes burned with rage. In response, Krystal turned her head and spat in the demon's face.

"You despicable vermin! You're the filth of the universe! I'll put an end to your worthless…"

SMACK! Zolao had heard enough from his defiant vixen captive. He swung the back of his great claw across Krystal's mouth. He stared at the blood on his claw from the vixen's mouth. "Look at what your defiance got you, vixen, so just shut up and sit still!" Zolao picked up a nearby staff with long, razor-sharp spikes resembling a trident. "I've had my fun, but now it's time for you to die, vixen." The demon slowly raised the weapon over his head, ready to impale his captive on the long, metal fork. Krystal's mind raced furiously…

"WAIT!"

The spear jerked to a stop; a second more and Krystal's throat would've been crushed. She breathed a sigh of relief. Zolao lifted the trident from his captive with an impatient sigh.

"What could possibly be important enough for me not to kill you?"

"Well," Krystal began, "since I'm going to die anyway, why not tell me what you're doing here?"

Zolao took a moment to answer. "Very well. Since you won't be around to tell anyone afterwards, I might as well tell you." Zolao held on to the trident, much to Krystal's disappointment. "As you may already know," Zolao stated as he paced around the dark room, "an incubus is a demon who indulges in all sorts of carnal fantasies." Zolao smiled after he said this; Krystal just turned her nose up at him. "What you may _not_ know about incubi is that we have a queen succubus. She isn't my 'wife' per se, but she is my main source for keeping our kind thriving."

While Zolao had his back turned, Krystal noticed something happening to her black lightning bonds – they were slowly disintegrating, and Zolao failed to noticed this. _"Apparently, Cerinians have an adverse effect on this planet. Perhaps I can stall for time while I wait for these bonds to disappear."_

Zolao continued. "However, every thousand years, our queen dies away and it is up to me to search the galaxy for a suitable replacement. Yes, it's a monotonous task, but if we strive for total domination of the universe, then finding the appropriate candidate to become my queen is imperative. I cannot determine whether or not the female I choose is the perfect one. All that is necessary is that she absolutely _must_ be a virgin. Unfortunately, I can't look like this while I'm searching."

"And how, may I ask, do you accomplish this?" Krystal asked.

Zolao grinned. "Every planet has its philanderers and playboys. I simply find the most promiscuous one of them and kill him. I can then possess his body and no one's the wiser."

"But how would you find your queen without others getting suspicious?"

"Ah, that is where Lord Cephil comes in. Cephil acts as my eyes whenever I'm searching. He's always watching every candidate from his little personal station. He's like a watchful secretary for me."

"What exactly are you looking for when you search for potential queens?" Krystal asked. She glanced at the disintegrating bonds. _"Almost there, just a bit longer."_

Zolao sighed impatiently. "I already told you, I don't know, but the perfect queen will produce a creature more magnificent than any you've ever seen. From there, universal dominance is imminent."

"What about the duds?"

"The imperfect queens just spit out more incubi, not that I'm complaining of course; the more incubi we have, the easier our dominance of the universe will be, but having to wait a thousand years to search again gets very irritating very quickly. Any more questions before I put you out of your misery?" Zolao rudely asked. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't tell the bonds had disintegrated.

"Actually I do, Zolao. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?"

Falling for the trick, Zolao turned around and saw nothing, but when he turned back around, Krystal caught him full in the face with a resounding kick. Finally free of her bonds, Krystal bounded out the doorway and raced through the cave. Meanwhile, Zolao clutched his face in painful agony. The imprint of Krystal's kick left a burning sensation in the side of his face. He screamed in lividness. "GET HER! DON'T LET HER LEAVE ALIVE!"

Krystal was more than halfway to her ship when approximately ten dozen incubi swooped like a wave from the roof of the cavern and gave chase. Krystal was strong physically, but the winding paths of the cave made it difficult for her to gain much speed. _"Why are they chasing me? They know they can't physically touch me."_ As if reading her thoughts, the soaring demons re-ascended to the roof of the cave and returned with replicas of Zolao's trident; now ten dozen incubi with spears were chasing her, causing Krystal to exert more energy in order to outrun the demons. Finally, with her legs aching, Krystal caught sight of her ship, but as she was mere feet away from freedom, she stumbled over an unseen deformation in the ground. Thinking quickly, she unsheathed her staff and fired a bolt at the cavern ceiling. With a thunderous boom, the cave rumbled, giant boulders collapsing on top of the unlucky pursuers. Krystal now had considerable time to reach her craft and take off. In a fervent rush, Krystal attempted to start the engines, but they only sputtered. _"No, no, not now! C'mon, start!"_ The vixen looked out the windshield; one of the incubi had cleared the rubble and made a mad dash for Krystal's ship. Krystal frantically flipped every switch and every button on the console, but the engines wouldn't start. "Come on, you stupid thing! Start!" Finally, Krystal pounded a fist into the steering wheel and the vehicle miraculously thrummed to life. Turning on the vertical boost, she floored the gas, shooting the ship upward in a brilliant display of extreme g-force, leaving the incubus behind in her wake. The ship grunted as Krystal was pressed into her seat from the intense pressure. Easing off the fuel pedal, she switched to hyperdrive, desperately wanting to escape the planet. "Let's see if you bastards can catch me now." Krystal punched the hyperdrive switch; stars turned to white streaks in her windshield as the vixen blasted off to safety on the other side of the galaxy.

* * *

"So let me get this straight." Fox said as he watched another wounded officer be carried through the humid hangar. "This Angora guy is really Zolao in disguise?"

Krystal nodded. "Right, and Katt's in big trouble if we don't find her soon."

Rose pulled her long ears down the side of her face. "This Zolao sounds like nothing but a dirty pervert to me. Why would he do those things to you?"

"It's in their nature." Krystal informed the worried hare. "But I swear it's the last time he'll ever do it."

"But how will we know where to find this Zolao?" Peppy asked as he tried to wake Slippy (who found the story uninteresting enough that he decided to sleep through it).

Everyone was silent; no one knew what Angora looked like. Krystal's ears suddenly perked up. "The hotel!"

"Huh?" said in unison.

"Fox, the hotel we were staying at the other night, remember?"

"Yeah."

"While we were leaving, I bumped into this tall white cat on accident, and he backed away from me holding his arm."

"How tall was he?" Peppy asked.

Krystal had to think for a moment. "I'm…not sure. I'd say he's about six feet tall."

"What room was he in?"

"I saw him walking into his room on our floor. I don't recall the exact room number, though."

Further speculation was interrupted when a loud motorcycle engine signifying Falco's arrival stopped in front of the hangar. Peppy forcefully hauled Slippy from his nap and followed Fox, Krystal and Rose to where Falco stood, a rigid look on his face. "Falco, are you okay?" Fox asked.

"Where the fuck is that son of a bitch? I'm gonna kill him!" Falco bellowed. "What the hell's going on here?" He asked, noticing the officers and doctors on the scene. "Is he in there? Is that fucker hiding inside? If that shithead is in there, you better get the fuck outta my way, Fox, or I'll knock your ass down too."

Fox quickly raised a paw to stop his avian friend. "Whoa, whoa, Falco. Calm down. Why are you so pissed?"

"That asshole kidnapped Katt!" Falco took a couple of breaths to calm down somewhat. "They had a fight. Her room looks like an earthquake hit it!"

Rose gasped. "Oh dear, I hope she's okay."

Falco was seething. He viciously kicked over a nearby trashcan, screaming. "Dammit, this is all my fault!" The avian's tirade was cut short by a beeping in his jacket pocket. Desperately hoping it was Katt, he fumbled it out and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hello, is this Falco Lombardi?" answered a feminine voice, but it wasn't Katt's.

"Yeah, who's this?" Falco replied impatiently.

"This is Dorothy with the city hospital. Do you know a Katherine Jeanette Monroe?"

"YES!" Falco shouted. "Yes I do! How is she?"

"Right now, she's in stable condition, but…" CLICK. Without another word, Falco was on his bike and speeding out of the military base.

The loud motorcycle rumbling startled Slippy. "Where is _he_ going in such a hurry?"

Fox watched the sleek motorbike disappear into a speck in the distance. "I think he just found Katt."

Stay tuned for Chapter 6!


	6. The Injected

Chapter 6: The Injected

Never in Falco's life had he felt so hopeful. Knowing Katt was still alive gave him newfound hope to earn back forgiveness for all the emotional suffering he had caused her. In the back of his mind, Falco knew that accepting responsibility for his actions was not easy, but as knew very well, time heals all wounds – both physical and emotional.

Screeching into the hospital parking lot, Falco leapt off his bike and pushed his way through the crowd to the front desk. Panting feverishly, he leaned over the desk at the mouse receptionist. "Where is she?"

The mouse spoke with a nasal accent. "Ah, you must be Falco Lomb…"

Falco grabbed a handful of the mouse's blouse, catching the attention of everyone within hearing distance. "I SAID WHERE IS SHE, DAMMIT?"

The receptionist's mouth quivered slightly and pointed a nervous finger down the hall. "R-Room 1207B, but I w-wouldn't…"

Falco immediately dropped the mouse back into her chair and rushed toward the stairs. The halls were a blur of blue and white; Falco sped up the stairs as quickly as his legs would allow, dodging occasional patients and doctors along the way. Quickly following the signs on the walls, Falco frantically searched for room 1207B. Ultimately stumbling upon it, Falco shoved the door open. The avian's face blanched at what he saw.

Katt Monroe rested peacefully on the only hospital bed in the room, but not with the lovely face Falco knew so well; instead, she was a mangled, mutilated, crippled mess. One black eye, a broken nose, a broken jaw, a bandaged gash above her left eye, a broken right arm with bruises on the left; I.V. tubes protruded from her arms, with other tubes extending from her nose and mouth. Falco averted his gaze, unable to withstand the sight of Katt's condition any longer. He slumped down and leaned on his knees in a chair next to the battered victim and hung his head in shame.

"Katt," Falco's voice croaked, "I wish you were awake to hear this." The avian grasped Katt's limp, frail paw. "But I'm sorry. I've never meant that more than I do now, Katt. I made a stupid mistake…no, the stupidest mistake of my LIFE…and I…" Falco had to swallow hard to keep tears from overflowing. "…I understand if I don't deserve your pity." The distraught bird squeezed the feline's paw and quickly wiped away tears that had escaped onto his face. "I know who did this to you, Katt, and I will prove to you and to myself that I can and will change; I will find him and make sure that he _never_ lays a finger on you again, you have my word." A fiery rage began to build inside Falco that he began trembling with anger. "Mark my words, Katt. He will most certainly pay." Falco sank to his knees on the floor and stared at the face stained with blood and bruises; he waited in vain to see if Katt would answer, but all he heard was the steady beeping of the heart monitor echoing in the room's emptiness.

"You didn't deserve this, Katt. You didn't do anything wrong." Falco closed his eyes and sighed. "_I'm_ the one who needs to get beaten up." Falco focused his dreary gaze on the reflective floor. "At least I deserve it."

"Excuse me, sir." Falco acknowledged the speaker with a slight turn of his head; a male canine doctor walked in with a medical chart. "You have some friends here to see you." The doctor moved aside, allowing Fox, Krystal, Slippy, Peppy and Rose into the room. Falco continued kneeling at Katt's bedside; Fox knelt beside his friend and looped an arm over his shoulder.

"Falco, I'm so sorry." Fox spoke calmly.

"Don't be." Falco answered. "I brought this on myself; this is all my fault."

Peppy adjusted his spectacles. "Is she going to be okay?"

The doctor turned and examined Katt's wounded form and then at the medical chart. "She's lucky to be alive. Whoever did this did a real number on her. Scans show three broken bones in the nose, jaw and arm aside from the gash on her head and the multiple bruises, but that's not all. We also found her to have a dislocated shoulder, two cracked ribs and a bruised lung."

Rose's ears drooped. "Oh, the poor thing. Will she recover okay?"

"Right now, she's in a coma, but she should recover just fine in about three to four months with adequate treatment."

A gentle knock rapped on the door; General Pepper walked in with a bouquet of white roses. "Good evening, son. I got here as soon as I could after Peppy told me what happened."

Except for Falco and Peppy, everyone looked at the doctor; he bore a striking resemblance to the general: similar in size, but the doctor was taller. "Hello, father. I'm glad you're doing well in this time of crisis. It's amazing what happened at the base today, is everyone okay?"

The general placed the roses on a desk next to the bed. "Unfortunately, no. We suffered some casualties in the research wing. Apparently, some sort of monsters attacked them."

Krystal bit her lower lip. "They were after me, sir."

"I'm sorry?"

"Those creatures were out to kill me, general. I'd explain but it's a long story."

Pepper escorted Krystal out of the room and down the hall. "Go on, tell me. I've got time."

As Krystal left with the general, Fox turned to the others left in the room. "I'd like to be alone for a minute, please." Without a word, Slippy, Rose, Peppy and the doctor quietly left Fox alone with Falco.

_"Dr. Pepper, hmm…where have I heard that name before? Sounds familiar…"_ Fox shook his head in befuddlement and returned his attention to Falco. "Look Falco, the doctor said…"

"I heard what the doctor said, Fox." Falco spoke at last, his voice somber and dull.

"You have nothing to worry about. Katt is going to be okay." Fox assured his friend.

Falco silently rose from his kneeling position and slowly shuffled to the room's large window overlooking the city. The evening sky burned bright rays of oranges and pink through the tall skyscrapers. "Then why don't I feel any better?"

Fox joined Falco at the window admiring the patterns of the rays of light. "Falco, mistakes of this magnitude aren't forgiven in a day…"

"Tell me about it." The avian retorted.

A long pause lingered before Fox continued. "I know you have little patience, but I'm asking you to please have some this time. Give Katt some time and she'll ultimately forgive you. Time heals all wounds, no matter how severe."

The avian looked at his vulpine friend. "Fox, the last time I spoke to her, she said she never wants to see me again! Then, she goes and falls head over heels for that Angora guy and look what it's gotten her!"

Fox sighed. "Those are only words, Falco. If Katt were conscious right now, do you think she'd still say that?" He took a glance at the decrepit feline on the bed. "You both made mistakes, everyone does. I know Katt better than you do and I _know_ she'll forgive you." Fox prodded a finger in Falco's arm. "But it's up to _you_ to forgive _her_. She _needs_ you _now,_ Falco, now more than she's ever needed you before." Fox paused to let the words sink in. "Are you up to it?"

Falco stood rigid as he listened to Fox's footsteps fade away into nothingness. He stood at the window, contemplating the words of his vulpine comrade and arrived at one conclusion:

Fox was absolutely right.

* * *

Hours later…(approximately 9:38 p.m.)

Falco slumped in the chair, eyes growing heavy with drowsiness with the passing time. Fox had brought him a candy bar from the snack lounge, but Falco had yet to open it; he was still thinking about the feline sitting in the hospital bed in front of him.

Falco rarely felt this type of emotion over anything, not since his parents were alive. His only show of emotion now was when he was blasting enemy ships from his arwing, rushing with adrenaline and taunting the amateur pilots with his superior skills. But all that sat in the back of his mind now; all he could think about now was remorse for what he had done to Katt. Fox was right when he said Falco had to forgive Katt, but Falco wasn't the forgiving type, which only madeforgiveness that much more difficult.

"Shit, I need a smoke." Falco pulled out a cigarette and a lighter just as an attractive avian nurse walked in the room.

"Sir, smoking isn't allowed in the building, you have to take that outside."

Falco stared at her for a moment. "Can't I just open a window?"

"Outside, sir."

Without a word, Falco stood and slouched out of the room, not bothering to look at the nurse; he certainly wasn't going to be falling for another pretty face anytime soon. Too bad the nurse hadn't a clue what was going on; she was smart in keeping the window shut because what was lurking beneath the window outside was waiting for the perfect opportunity…

* * *

Rose and Team Starfox sat silently in the waiting room, having nothing else better to do now that a close friend's life was in danger. The doctor told them Katt would be fine, but they all knew anything could happen at a moment's notice. General Pepper had left some time earlier to warn the military; by now, the incident at the base had spread like wildfire around the planet.

"Hey, Fox."

The vulpine looked up, as did the others, recognizing the familiar voice. "Hey, Bill. From those balloons you've got there, I'd say you heard about Katt as well?"

The husky shrugged inside of his thick brown jacket. "It was the least I could do. What room is she in?"

"Down the hall, she's in the last room on the right. Take a barf bag, though. She looks horrible."

Bill pulled a face as he turned and headed toward Katt's hospital room. Bill disliked hospitals as much as the next guy, but he had an obligation to fill to one of his closest friends.

* * *

Right outside Katt's window, clinging to the concrete wall, Angora watched with wicked intent the woman he hoped would be his unholy queen.

"Very soon, my dear, you will be mine forever. At last, I shall rule the universe." The disguised demon was about to climb off the wall into the room when he spotted Bill walking into the room. Angora had to duck back outside to avoid being seen.

"Blasted fool! What does he think he's doing?" Angora whispered to himself. He watched carefully as the husky set the 'Get Well Soon' balloons aside and simply stood at Katt's bedside.

Bill picked up the medical chart on the nearby table and slowly skimmed its contents. "Geez, Katt. You're lucky to be alive." He then set the chart down and removed his jacket. "Damn, it's warm in here. I think I'll open this window."

Angora ducked out of view as Bill pulled up on the window, allowing a cool breeze to enter the room. However, Bill's next move was a mistake – he turned around.

Angora spotted a small potted plant on the windowsill and discovered an idea. Seizing the plant, the albino cat took careful aim and launched it in a beeline for Bill's head. The clay pot hit its desired target; it shattered on Bill's skull and the canine collapsed unconscious. Grinning, Angora climbed into the room and, before anyone saw him, locked the door. He turned to his helpless victim. He looked at himself in the mirror and snorted with contempt.

"This disguise is worthless to me now." Angora threw his gray trench coat on the prone, paralyzed husky, revealing a massive pair of demonic wings. Then, with a mighty roar, he clutched a handful of fur on the back of his skull and pulled. Fur and flesh ripped and tore as the demon's gummy skin ruptured through the slimy inner pelt until the demon Zolao himself stood; the pelage he once wore now flopped limp on the floor. Zolao towered over Katt and carefully mounted her, staring long at her belly, touching it almost in a reverent nature.

"With my seed inside you, my queen, you will be mine forever!" With that, Zolao thrust inside her, injected her loins with his evil seed.

* * *

Katt couldn't wake up. She wanted to, but couldn't; something was keeping her from opening her eyes and seeing what was happening to her. But she didn't have to see anything, she could feel it; she could feel it deep down, down in the depths where no one had ever ventured. The feeling gushed through her loins, a warm, sexual feeling; it was like an erotic kind of sexual feeling that was rather…pleasing. But something wasn't right; this sensation had a rather odd sense to it; it felt…evil. But the feeling didn't stop, and every moment of it was pleasurable, like indulging in erogenous sex. The feeling spread through her body – through to her legs, arms, and chest, and every moment of it was pure ecstasy. With each thrust, the demon's seed shot into her like a bullet, exciting a part of her that screamed for more in utter rapture. She could almost feel the seed taking effect; the monster, amidst the erotic bliss, was slowly developing inside the feline's belly, and in a short time this monster's time will come.

* * *

Krystal's head rested peacefully on Fox's shoulder, too tired to stay up any later, but Fox was having trouble staying awake as well. In light of all that was happening, the vixen had snuggled close to the war hero for added protection. Her face was slightly damp from crying, and Fox had an arm around her shoulder for reassurance; she had been crying for Falco and for Katt and for everything that had happened between them. Being of a kind and generous nature, Krystal hated to see a couple that seemingly got along have something tragic happen to them. Suddenly, Krystal was jarred awake by a familiar sensation…and she immediately frowned. She reached behind her and found that her staff was glowing yellow again.

"Fox! Wake up!" Krystal shook Fox vigorously until his eyelids fluttered open. "It's Zolao, he's here!" The other members in the room awoke groggily to the vixen's warning, making her impatient. With an angry huff, she bolted down the hall toward Katt's room. To her disappointment, Krystal found the door to be locked.

"Dammit!" She shouted audibly, drawing the attention of several nurses. She took several paces back and aimed her staff at the wooden door. Everyone in the hall stopped and stared before a green burst of energy shot from the staff and exploded in a cloud of smoke. The door handle had been knocked clean off and a splintery hole was left in the door, but the hole wasn't big enough for Krystal to fit; however, she had another idea. Running at full speed and screaming as loud as possible, she lowered a shoulder and slammed into the door so hard as to knock it off its hinges. The vixen staggered in, only to see Zolao standing triumphantly in front of her with a sadist grin.

"You're too late, vixen. Your friend is now mine and you can't do a thing to change it. Say goodbye to your pathetic Lylat System…OW!" A sharp blast struck Zolao in the chest. He turned to the door to see Fox standing with his blaster still aimed at the demon. "You impertinent fool! Your mortal weapons can't hurt me!"

Krystal saw her chance. With Zolao distracted, Krystal lunged at him, but the demon was quick enough to avoid her, letting her fall to the floor harmlessly. Zolao nimbly leapt onto the windowsill and soared away from the building; Krystal scrambled to her feet and gave chase. Bad idea.

"Krystal! Don't!" Fox shouted, but the vixen didn't listen; she jumped onto the windowsill just as easily and made a leap of faith at the demon, but caught nothing but air. What was worse was that she was soaring out of a twelfth story window, and without anything to fall on except asphalt. Miraculously, Krystal felt a sharp tug on her ankle. She smiled gratefully when she looked up and saw Fox holding on grimly with both paws. Nurses and doctors helped Peppy and the others pull the foxes to safety.

* * *

Falco was completely oblivious to what had happened; he leaned against a round column and puffed solemnly on his cigarette. He took a peek at a nearby newspaper stand; one of the stories read, "Suicide rates up 5 from last year". Falco just shook his head, considering the thought. Fox had told Falco to do something he knew he couldn't do, and the thought of it just ate Falco up inside to the point where he started thinking crazy. But something was telling Falco not to go through with his suicidal thoughts; was it sympathy or was it a guilt trip? A police siren pulling in front of him interrupted his thoughts; a rodent and a canine officer stepped out of the vehicle, talking on their radios. They were talking too fast for Falco but he heard one of the officers repeat "1207B", exactly what he _didn't_ want to hear. Falco grew concerned. Who would attack an injured woman in the hospital? He stormed past the officers and back into the building.

* * *

Fox and the others were concerned as well; they watched nurses inspect Katt thoroughly for any further signs of damage, but Krystal already knew what kind of damage had been done. She huddled close to Fox, who was standing in front of the bed with a look of disbelief etched on his face. Rose had taken a curious interest in the furry shell of whoever had been Zolao's victim. Peppy had helped revive Bill and held a compress to the bruise on his head. Slippy took a peek inside one of the trench coat pockets and discovered a wallet with money, credit cards and a driver's license. He conspicuously slipped a bit of the money into his jacket before he approached Peppy with the driver's license.

"Look, Peppy. This guy used to work at the base. You know him?"

"No, but those who do are going to be really sad when they hear about what happened."

Krystal looked dejected at her staff; although Zolao had escaped, the yellow glow lingered. "Look at this, Fox. We're too late; Zolao has already injected Katt and now she's slowly becoming one of them." She sighed, a ton of sadness weighed on her. "We shouldn't have left the room."

Fox hugged Krystal closely, holding her head in his chest while she buried her pretty face in it. "Don't worry, Krys. We're going to find a way out of this. We'll get Katt back. Somehow."

* * *

The sound of hurried footsteps pushed its way past the officers and doctors cluttering the room. Falco stumbled in, wheezing like a fish out of water from running up the stairs. "Katt! Is she…?" Falco turned and saw his girlfriend the way he left her, unloading a load of worry off his back. "Oh, thank God…aw, shit, I was so fuckin' worried." Falco panted. He fell back into a chair to enjoy its comfort, but didn't get toforvery long. Fox and Krystal looked at each other, each wanting the other to break the bad news to Falco. Finally, Fox broke the short silence.

"Falco, um, we have some…rather unfortunate news about Katt."

The bird's eyes grew wide with anxiety. "What the hell are you talking about, Fox? What's wrong?"

Fox sighed. This definitely wasn't going to be easy. "Follow me."

* * *

"Lord Cephil!"

The wrinkled face of Lord Cephil appeared in the violet mist. "Yes, master?"

Zolao grinned. "I have done it. Fertilization is complete."

Cephil's face returned the evil smile. "Yes! Excellent, master! Well done!"

"On the night of the third full moon, Cephil, the time will come. Our queen will be ready."

More to come in Chapter 7! (Please review)


	7. Enigma

Chapter 7: Enigma

"WHAT THE HELL?"

Falco didn't try to restrain his loud and desperate voice. Although Fox had taken Falco into a nearby restroom near Katt's hospital room, Falco's screaming could be heard loud and clear from outside; Fox did what he could to calm his friend down. "Falco, I know you're angry, but…"

"Well, no shit, Fox! You expect me to put on a happy face and pretend everything gonna be fucking a-okay?" Falco heaved long and hard, his hot breath burned against the flesh underneath Fox's fur.

Fox sighed. Being the Starfox team leader, he was used to dealing with, and finding solutions to, extreme crises. However, he had experienced nothing like the situation Falco was in, nor the consequences of not finding a solution to as big a problem Corneria would find itself in if he didn't think quick. "Falco, I need you to calm down so we can think of a logical way to get out of this mess."

Falco appeared to calm down; his body relaxed and his demeanor seemed more focused. "You know what? You're absolutely right. I shouldn't be wasting my time in here moping." Suddenly, Falco whipped out his blaster; Fox didn't like the vengeful glint he saw in his friend's eyes.

"Uh, Falco, what do you think you're doing?"

Falco shot back a look that told Fox he wasn't going to be denied. "I'm gonna look for this Zolao creep and blast his ass straight to hell, where the fuck did you _think_ I was going?" The avian flung the bathroom door open, almost bumping into a waiting Krystal in the process.

Fox rushed out behind his friend. "Falco, you're going about this all wrong. You're gonna get yourself killed!"

Falco stopped abruptly; Fox did the same as his friend turned to face him. Falco pointed a finger directly in Fox's face. "Do me a favor, Fox. Don't follow me or so help me I won't hesitate to beat the shit out of you."

Fox's expression carried shock and disbelief. Upon hearing Falco's threat, Krystal raced ahead and stood defiantly in Falco's path.

"Krystal, get the fuck out of my way! I don't wanna hurt you, but I will if I have to."

The vixen stood still. "What you're doing is suicide! No mortal weapon can hurt him! I can't let you do this!"

Falco's expression wrinkled with irritability and aimed his blaster right between Krystal's blue eyes; again, Krystal refused to move. "Dammit, I'm doing this whether or not…"

Without warning, Fox yanked Falco's gun arm down, a burst from the blaster narrowly missing Krystal's left foot as she dodged out of harm's way. Falco swung his captive arm in order to break free of Fox's grip. While the avian's back was turned, Krystal found an opportunity to catch Falco in a full nelson. Before Krystal could get a firm hold, Falco stumbled backward while still wrestling with Fox and sandwiched the vixen against the wall. Krystal slumped to the floor, clutching her ribs in pain. Shortly afterwards, Falco managed to capture his squirming friend by the back of his shirt and throw him – Fox halfway stumbling – against the same wall Krystal sat against. Fox grabbed at his lower back, but in too much agony to moan about it. Panting heavily, Falco hung his blaster limp at his side, looking at his friends as if they had committed the ultimate sin, but his expression was unwavering and determined. Yes, he had fought two of his friends, but to Falco, they were hindrances on his ultimate mission, no matter how suicidal it seemed.

Fox looked at Falco as if he had just betrayed him. He tried comforting the vixen at his side while still maintaining his icy stare on the avian. At last, Falco pocketed his blaster and ran off, not caring what awaited him.

Peppy, Slippy, Bill and Rose soon appeared after Falco had finally disappeared. "Fox, are you and Krystal okay?" Peppy asked with a fatherly concern.

Fox looked up at the elderly hare. "I think so, but I think Krystal might have some broken ribs."

Peppy sighed. "Bill, you take Rose back to the base while we get Krystal healed up." After Bill and Rose left, Peppy continued. "Fox, Pepper just informed me that a prisoner down at the correctional facility might know something about these monsters. I'd like you to go there first thing in the morning and see what you can find." Fox simply nodded.

* * *

Falco sped down the nearly deserted road on his motorbike through the eerie night. He gripped the handlebars tight enough to make his hands hurt, but physical pain was the last thing on his mind. Falco was even questioning himself as to the sanity of his decision, but he was too blinded by revenge to reconsider playing it safe; he wanted a piece of Zolao and he wanted it now, no matter how powerful Zolao was. Falco stopped in the turn lane heading to Katt's house. _"I've got a pretty good hunch I know where this scumbag is."_

Falco pulled into the driveway of his girlfriend's suburban house, hoping that Zolao would return to the scene of the crime. He took out his blaster and kicked the door open, opting not to proceed quietly into the house. His hand hovered over his blaster, ready to zap anything that moved within the marooned abode.

"COME ON OUT, YOU CREEP! I'M HERE TO BLAST YOU TO HELL!" Only silence greeted him. Falco ventured further into the house, inspecting behind the curtains, in the garage and in the bedrooms and closets, but no Zolao. If Falco wasn't uncomfortable before, he was now. He wasn't scared, but Falco got real edgy when a sadistic freak could possibly be lying in wait, especially for him. Falco angrily pounded a fist into a nearby wall, creating a dent in it. His mission having apparently failed, Falco stormed out of the house. Surprisingly, a police motorcycle sat at the edge of the driveway, but its sirens weren't blaring. The officer calmly approached Falco as the avian approached the officer. His face was hidden underneath the shadows cast by the street lamps.

"What the hell do you want?" Falco spat impatiently. He looked as if he was about to unload a blaster round into the officer's chest.

"I'm here about a domestic disturbance. What seems to be the problem?" The officer asked with a composed demeanor.

Falco eyed the figure suspiciously. "There _was_ no damn disturbance. I was here looking for my girl…." THUNK! CRASH!

Falco felt himself thrown headfirst into his bike. His head squarely connected with the exhaust pipe as he slumped to the ground. His wavering eyes caught a glimpse of blood on the dent in the reflective chrome where his head hit. Before Falco had the chance to rub his sore spot, the next thing he felt was a strong claw wrap around his torso as it lifted him off the ground. The claw turned Falco around so that the ace pilot looked in the evil eyes of Zolao himself. Falco glanced at the pelt that was once an ordinary officer, and then he turned his attention to the smirking monster.

"So that's what you really look like?" Falco said as he looked at the ugly face of the monster. "I've seen prettier stuff in my toilet."

Zolao frowned and growled at the bird. He flung Falco hard onto the unforgiving concrete; Falco rolled and slammed hard into the garage door, grasping his left knee in pain. "You've got a lot of nerve to insult me like that, you flimsy mortal. I shall put you out of your misery." Definitely not one to back away from a fight, Falco stood upright and removed his jacket, tossing it across his bike. He glared at the demon and cracked his knuckles loudly.

"I'd sure as hell like to see you try."

Zolao grinned and leapt high in the air toward Falco just as the pilot took out his blaster. Falco took pot shots at the demon, but Zolao's gummy hide absorbed the energy like a sponge. Zolao landed in front of Falco and viciously swatted him across his head, knocking his blaster loose in the process. Zolao stomped on the blaster, crushing it to tiny pieces. Falco was struggling to stand up, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth, when Zolao grabbed Falco and crashed his head into the house's banister. Falco began to stagger back when Zolao suddenly grabbed one of his arms and twisted it hard behind his back. Falco growled in pain as Zolao forced him face-first into the grass. Zolao pressed a knee into Falco's back and clenched the back of his head. Falco's eyes grew heavy from the lack of oxygen forced from Zolao's immense weight; the demon bent over close to Falco's head.

"What'll it be?" Zolao taunted. "I could break your arm or crush your puny little head just like that." Zolao's breath was horrid, and he made sure Falco could smell every bit of it. "But I won't. You know why? I want you to watch your little girlfriend become mine as I dominate this pathetic Lylat System, and neither you nor anyone else will be able to stop me." With that, Zolao released Falco and soared away into the dark night. Falco gingerly stood up as soon as the demon left.

"Well, if this isn't a nice pile of shit I've gotten myself into?"

* * *

At the crack of dawn, Fox was already heading east toward the outskirts of town and the prison where he was ordered to go. He opted to leave Krystal in the hospital's care; fortunately, she had only suffered minor bruises from the scuffle she and Fox had with Falco the previous night. Fox himself had a sore neck, but at the moment, pain was secondary; he had to find out as much as possible from this stranger he was told to meet before the situation grew any direr.

Fox was granted clearance at the gate; General Pepper had informed the prison staff earlier that he would be arriving. As Fox walked in the main door, the burly badger guard standing there handed him the prisoner's dossier.

"This is the information on the prisoner you're supposed to meet, Fox." The badger stated simply. "She's a bit of a…um…an enigma. She's very strange." The guard walked with Fox until they reached a gray, nondescript interrogation room. Fox opened the folder and inspected its contents. The color mug shot showed an extremely beautiful lupine woman, perhaps no older than 25 years old. Dark tresses framed her face exquisitely and the luscious dark brown eyes stared a piercing hole through Fox. Sorting through the prisoner's personal information, Fox came across something very odd.

"This is weird; first name is Vivien but no last name is given. She has no job, no house, no surviving family, and no source of income. The only sure thing we know is that she was arrested for aggravated assault. It says here she severed an appendage of her victim; what was it…?"

"Uh, I believe you should wait in the, the…um…the interrogation room until the prisoner arrives, okay?" The guard said nervously, ignoring the question. The big badger walked away, allowing Fox to walk slowly into the room himself and sit in one of the cold metal chairs. Fox tossed the folder onto the metal table, but one of the papers inside fell onto the floor. Fox bent to pick it up and saw something on it even stranger: the prisoner's date of birth. Confused, Fox grabbed the color picture and examined it, and then he looked at the birth date, then back at the photo again. What was so baffling?

The date of birth was over one hundred years ago.

Fox stuffed the information back in the envelope and rubbed his forehead. Who exactly was he asked to deal with? Before Fox could think much further, Vivien stepped into the room wearing a blue jumpsuit, followed by the badger guard; she looked exactly as she did in the photo. Her brown eyes still had the same uncomfortable effect as in the mug shot. Her feminine paws were bound with energy cuffs – both on her wrists and ankles. The guard sat Vivien down in the chair opposite Fox and indicated that he would be behind the two-way mirror as he shut the door.

Fox sat back in his chair, while the enigmatic Vivien simply stared at him through her captivating eyes. They stared at each other for what seemed like eternity, each one expecting the other to say something first. Then, Vivien leaned forward and slowly – _very_ slowly – began licking her lips, as if enticing Fox. Fox felt a bit uneasy at the gesture and slightly shifted his position in his chair, halfway expecting the wolf to lunge at him. Vivien's eyes drank the image of Fox in his chair; the corners of her mouth curled up slightly and she winked – _slowly_ – at him. Fox was having trouble understanding what Vivien was trying to accomplish with her seductive actions.

"Excuse me, but what do you think you're doing?" Fox finally asked.

Vivien didn't answer. Instead, looking at Fox through undressing eyes, and then began _unbuttoning_ her jumpsuit. Vivien advanced as far as the third button, and when the slightest sight of her bosom appeared, Fox angrily leaned over the table and looked the prisoner square in her brown eyes. "Dammit! Stop fucking around…!"

"What? You like it?"

Fox stood upright in surprise. "What the…? What?"

Vivien stopped unbuttoning her blouse. "You like to fuck around, too?" Vivien winked at Fox again.

Fox shook his head in impatience. "Could you please stop hitting on me for one second?"

Vivien sat back in her seat and began to play with her dark hair, wrapping it around her thin fingers. "It's not my fault you're such a sexy beast."

Fox opened his mouth to respond but thought better of it. "Look, we've wasted enough time already with your flirting. You know why I'm here, so I suggest you start spilling the beans about what you know of the monsters that attacked the base."

Vivien appeared to be in thought. "Well, what has your Cerinian friend _not _told you?"

Fox train of thought suddenly halted. "Whoa! How do you know about Krystal?"

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Foxy. When we walk out of here, I'll tell you even more." Vivien said in a sultry voice.

Fox ignored the prisoner's tone. "What do you mean _when_? I have to get clearance from General Pepper…"

"That's already taken care of." Vivien interrupted, prompting a confused look from Fox. "Look in that folder if you don't believe me." Skeptical, Fox stood up, opened the folder and sorted through the information again. Sure enough, in the back of the folder, Fox found a release form granting Vivien's release from the prison. Fox simply shook his head; the situation could only get weirder. Fox stuffed the information back into the folder, but nearly jumped out of his shoes when he suddenly found Vivien standing dangerously close to him. "Let's go."

* * *

Mina felt a blinding light through her bedroom window as she lay in bed. Squeezing her eyes shut and groaning, Mina turned over and glanced groggily at the clock on the nightstand: 7:30 a.m. Yawning, Mina sat up and stretched in her short "I attended F U" t-shirt. Before she stood up, Mina heard her cell phone ringing on the nightstand. She crawled over her messy bed and answered it. "What's up?" She said sluggishly.

"Mina, it's Oscar from the Green Bistro." Said the other voice. "The Bistro's gonna be closed for a couple of days."

Mina looked confused. "What for?"

"It's because of the attacks on the military base and the hospital. The boss wants everything to blow over before she reopens the place."

Mina nodded. "Oh, okay. Hey, have you heard from Katt recently? I tried calling her last night at home and on her cell phone, but I couldn't get an answer."

Oscar's voice on the other end hesitated. "Actually, she's in the hospital."

Mina gasped, her eyes widened with concern. "Oh god. When did this happen? Is she okay?"

"From what I heard on the news last night, she was admitted early yesterday morning and her room was attacked late last night by one of those monsters. She looked really messed up."

Mina bit on her nails. She wanted to check on Katt as soon as possible. "Okay, thanks Oscar." She set the phone down and rushed toward her dresser. Mina pulled off her nightclothes and ripped the drawers open before a realization came to her. She picked up her phone and dialed a number.

* * *

Falco stood in front of the mirror in Katt's aromatic bathroom. He splashed some cold water on his face and opened the mirrored medicine cabinet. He found a bottle of aspirin and popped two tablets in his mouth, wincing from the pain of his swollen bruise from where Zolao had swatted at him. He had trouble sleeping through the night; his head hurt and his back ached like nothing he had ever felt; his knees didn't feel much better either. Falco closed the cabinet and scowled at his pathetic condition in the mirror; the longer he looked, the more he hated himself and wished he were dead and buried. In a flash, he furiously rammed a fist into the cabinet door, producing a serious dent in it. Falco ignored the searing pain shooting in his arm as he angrily clutched his headfeathers. Suddenly his phone rang from inside his jacket; he furiously yanked it out. "WHAT?" The voice on the other end sounded familiar.

"Well, well, well. I hope you learned your lesson, bird boy." It was Mina. "Maybe next time you'll…"

"What the fuck do you want, Mina? I don't have time to put up with your bullshit. I feel shitty enough already."

"Oh, so you know about Katt already? Serves you right. If you had treated her better, none of this would've happened."

"Dammit, Mina. Didn't you hear me say I already feel shitty enough about what happened? The last thing I need is for you to give me a guilt trip."

Mina tried putting on a pair of jeans, squeezing her tail through the hole in the back. "You brought this on yourself, boy. I'm just telling it like it is."

Falco walked out of the bathroom and fell on the couch in the living room. "You just couldn't leave me alone, could you? You absolutely had nothing else better to do than to rub this fucked up shit in my face, did you, you crazy bitch?"

Mina was just about to put a shirt on when she heard the insult. Instead, she flung the lilac-colored garment on the bed in anger. "Know what? I was just about to feel sorry for you, but you truly are a selfish asshole!" Mina hung up with a loud click.

Falco clumsily fumbled to turn off his phone and stuffed it back in his jacket. He bent over, head between his legs. "Why can't I just be left the hell alone?"

* * *

Fox waited impatiently in his car outside the prison entrance for Vivien. She had insisted Fox wait outside while she changed out of her prison jumpsuit. Fox was busy thinking about the situation he and the rest of Corneria was in when Vivien opened the passenger door and sat down inside. Fox sped out of the facility first before taking a look at Vivien; his jaw nearly dropped in his lap when he saw what Vivien was wearing.

"What the hell is that?"

Vivien casually propped her black vinyl high-heel boots on the dashboard and lit a cigarette. "What's what?"

Fox tried to maintain focus on the road ahead of him. "Y-You! I could be arrested for soliciting prostitution!"

Vivien took a look at herself and laughed. Fox was confused, expecting Vivien to slap him silly. Vivien wore a tight red tube top and a torn denim miniskirt that could redefine the term "mini". The long hair and sultry eyes completed the exquisite package. Vivien's laughing calmed, but she maintained a smile. "You think I'm a prostitute? Pay up and we'll do it right now."

Fox looked surprised and covered the pocket with his wallet with one of his paws. "What the…?"

"You think I'm sexy, don't you, Foxy?" Vivien cooed as she moved to place a hand on his shoulder, but Fox stopped her.

"Stop it. You promised me information and I want it now, dammit." Fox pointed a demanding finger in the wolf's direction.

Vivien held up her hands. "Okay, okay. I was just having some fun. But you ought to be careful being rough with me, Fox. It might turn me on." She said with a slim smile.

"Just tell me what you know. I'm heading to the hospital so you can see what happened."

"I already know what happened."

Fox kept his eyes on the road. "Oh, really? May I ask _how _you know?"

Vivien puffed on her cigarette. "They let us watch the news during our lunch breaks in prison and I just happened to hear about it." Fox nodded in satisfaction of Vivien's answer. "Do you know for sure if it was Zolao that attacked?"

"Oh yeah, it was definitely him. He was much bigger than the monsters at the base, plus he left his little disguise in plain sight." Vivien didn't answer, which left an unsettling silence between her and Fox, so Fox decided to break the silence. "So how do you know Zolao? What happened between you and him?"

Vivien's expression slid downward and looked away solemnly. "Let's just say I had an unfortunate experience with him. I'd prefer not to talk about it."

Fox had a question sitting on his tongue, but thought better of it, thinking it might provoke an outrage. Instead he focused on the Corneria City skyline on the horizon.

* * *

Fox's blue sports car pulled into the parking lot of the Corneria City hospital. He parked next to some police cars and entered the tall building with Vivien in tow. Vivien caught some ugly reactions from some of the civilians, but she never acknowledged one of them. The hospital was busy as always, but amidst all the bustling, Vivien caught sight of a passing security officer. With a quick flick of her hand, Vivien swatted the canine officer on his backside. The officer turned around, scratching his head in confusion, but saw nothing but a busy crowd.

Fox saw this and turned to his enigmatic companion. "What do you think you're doing?"

Vivien just shrugged. "I was just seeing if his ass was as tight as yours." She said as the pair entered an empty elevator.

Fox rolled his eyes and sighed. "Y'know, the more I think about it, the more I believe you really are an easy strumpet." No sooner than when Fox said this did Vivien shove Fox into an elevator corner and firmly clutched Fox's crotch. Fox yelped, and Vivien held him against the wall with a paw around his neck. Vivien forced herself onto Fox and breathed heavily on his neck. Vivien reeked of feral beauty, but she could be just as deadly.

"My boyfriend said the exact same thing before I ripped his dick off with my bare paws. You wouldn't want that to happen, would you?" Before Fox even thought about answering, Vivien planted a forceful kiss on his mouth. Fox couldn't do much about his predicament since Vivien held him by the family jewels. Vivien moaned with pleasure as she finally released her death grip on Fox's crotch and used that paw to force Fox to the floor, still attached to his mouth; then she pinned his arms down with both paws and straddled the fox's waist.

_"I'm in deep shit now. What will Krystal think when she smells Vivien all over me?"_ Fox wondered. He tried moving, but Vivien had a ridiculously strong grip that killed any thoughts of forcing the lupine off him, at least before they reached the twelfth floor. Vivien writhed sensually on top of Fox, her tongue slithering about in his mouth. Since he couldn't move, Fox could only go with the flow. He could feel Vivien's sensuous curves grab him – her long, shapely legs clutched his waist and her soft, supple breasts pressed against Fox's chest. The experience would be heavenly to any other male, but Fox was in a serious relationship with a certain Cerinian vixen and he could only think of all the bad things Krystal could do to him if she found out what happened.

Finally, the elevator bell dinged, which was a welcome sound to Fox's ears. He felt Vivien's grip loosen ever so slightly, and that gave him the opportunity to break her hold and throw her off him. Fox staggered to his feet and propped himself against the open doorway; Vivien had left him dizzy and lightheaded. He turned to Vivien, who had risen to her knees. She captured him with a titillating grin and Fox instinctively crossed his legs.

"You liked that, didn't you?" The words glided off Vivien's tongue.

"The hell I did." Fox answered back, thoroughly pissed.

Vivien smirked and twirled her glistening brown hair around her fingers. "Not from what I felt in your pants."

Fox felt the flesh beneath his fur turn a deeper shade of pink with embarrassment. "Thanks to you, I'm gonna be in deep shit. Krystal's gonna have my ass for sure."

"I'd like to have it, too…"

"Shut up!" Fox shouted. With a shrug, Vivien stood up and walked past him out into the hallway. Thankfully for Fox, hardly anyone was on the twelfth floor so no one could see how embarrassed he was.

Katt's quarters were now blocked off with police tape and guarded by security officers. Fox flashed his ID and the guards let him and Vivien into the room. The place had been cleaned up, but the police and military weren't taking any chances on any further attacks. The two stood at Katt's bedside through a long silence.

"She's the ex-girlfriend of…" Fox paused, not sure if he wanted to use the appropriate term, "a…a friend of mine."

"Ex? What happened exactly?" Vivien asked.

"Katt caught Falco – my friend – having an affair with her older sister." Vivien simply nodded, not showing the slightest hint of concern.

"Then Zolao disguises himself as some Don Juan and sweeps her off her feet for the sole purpose of impregnating her so she can give birth to the monster that will make her his succubus queen. Am I right?"

Fox looked stupefied. "How the hell do you know all this? Where exactly did you come from? I'd like my brain to stop hurting, please."

Vivien gently patted Fox's rear, prompting a dirty look from the vulpine. "In due time, Foxy."

Fox's attention turned to the noise of footsteps near the door. Krystal, Peppy and Slippy entered the room with permission from the guards. Fox began to feel uneasy when she saw Krystal staring at Vivien, then she walked over and stood next to Fox. The others stared at Vivien in curiosity, mainly her outfit. Peppy spoke first.

"Hey, Fox. Who is this…this beautiful friend of yours?"

"Yes, Fox." Fox jumped at the sound of Krystal's voice. She crossed her arms across her chest and had a fake grin attached to her face. "Who is she?" Fox read Krystal's body language like a book, and its title was, _"I smell that slut all over you, so you better explain yourself quick or you're in deep trouble."_

Fox nervously scratched behind one of his ears as he looked at Peppy. "Uh, she's the prisoner that you said knows about those monsters. Remember?"

Peppy, although mystified, looked somewhat satisfied with the team's new insider. Krystal, however, appeared skeptical toward the mysterious Vivien; she didn't know if she could trust someone like her, but only one question came to her mind.

_"Where have I seen her before?"_

More to come in Chapter 8 (read and review)!


	8. First Attack

Chapter 8: First Attack

Although Corneria was a light year away, the effects of Zolao's fertilization were occurring as planned. The sinister creatures of the planet Incubus lay dormant, and with each passing day, they grew stronger. The other potential queens had failed, but not this one; this queen would serve them well at Zolao's side, conquering the galaxy unchallenged. Zolao and his associate, Lord Cephil, slept in Zolao's chamber, awaiting Corneria's third full moon. At that moment, the beginning of the end for Corneria and the rest of the galaxy would begin…

* * *

"So, Vivien," Peppy asked as he and the group neared the entrance of the hospital, "how long ago did you have this close encounter with Zolao?"

Vivien shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, it was about ten years ago, but I've managed to live a life since then."

Peppy and Slippy looked confused, but Fox knew Vivien's real age. Peppy scratched his head. "Then you must've been but a teenager, right?" The old hare asked as he and the others stepped out into the cool, early afternoon atmosphere outside.

Vivien had to think quickly of something believable to tell the hare. "Actually, no." She said as she looked at a tense Fox, who still had Krystal's watchful eye on him. "I'm old enough to be his mother."

"No way!" Slippy yelped in his high-pitched voice. "Really? You look too young to be Fox's mother!"

Vivien just rolled her eyes. _"Whatever."_ "Yes, really. By the way, have you hit puberty yet?" Slippy responded with a dirty look and stuck his tongue out.

Krystal gave Vivien a sideways glance. "For someone who's supposed to be so mature, you certainly don't _act_ like it."

Vivien stopped walking and stood right in Krystal's face, staring a menacing hole through the Cerinian, but Krystal stared right back, undaunted. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Vivien taunted, punching a finger hard into Krystal's sternum.

Krystal pointed a finger right back. "What do you _think_ it means, you two-bit whore?"

Vivien's eyes widened and her jaw dropped in shock. Before she could physically retaliate, Fox rushed to step in between her and Krystal. He held both girls at arms length, and they both looked ready to pounce on each other. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Let's not get off on the wrong foot, okay, ladies? Can we get through this ordeal without a massacre?"

Slippy opened a snack-sized bag of nuts he was carrying. "Actually, I wouldn't mind a good catfight…"

Peppy lightly smacked the toad over the top of the head. "Quiet, you."

Fox sighed, still holding the girls. "Could you two at least _try_ to get along?"

Vivien relaxed and began fiddling with her lustrous hair. "Sure. I don't know about _her_ though." She said, nodding at Krystal.

Krystal relaxed as well. "Same here." She said; her icy stare still fixed on Vivien.

The beleaguered Fox buried the heels of his paws into his eyes and mumbled. "Whatever." He turned around and bumped into a walking figure. The figure yipped in surprise; Fox blinked a few times and saw Mina in front of him. Like almost every other visitor, she brought a gift; Mina's was a candy bouquet.

"Fox! I heard about Katt. Is she okay?"

Fox looked at Krystal, hoping for some help, but she was still fixed on Vivien. "Um, well, for now, she is."

Mina raised an eyebrow. "For now? What's that supposed to mean? What else happened?"

Fox bit his lower lip in the uncomfortable silence. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. A lot of weird shit's been happening lately."

Mina pursed her lips. "So I've heard. Could you take me up to see her then?"

"I'd have to clear you to get in, but sure." Fox looked over his shoulder at his group. "I'll be right back, so don't leave without me."

* * *

Up on the twelfth floor, Fox once again flashed his ID to the guards outside Katt's hospital room and escorted the collie female inside. Mina covered her mouth in shock, and Fox felt a queasy sensation in his gut. The sensation became a normal occurrence from the extended amount of time he had to spend inside the hospital; being around the sick, dead and dying for that long will certainly do that to anyone. Mina set the candy bouquet on the rolling table since all of Katt's other gifts took up the space on the end tables flanking the bed. Mina caressed Katt's limp paw; it was much colder than normal and that explained the extra blankets on top of her. Mina's eyes began squeezing out tears and her bottom lip started to quiver noticeably; seeing her best friend in such a helpless condition made her stomach turn.

Out of the corner of his eye, Fox noticed Mina holding her stomach while the muscles began twitching. Fox sat Mina down and handed her a nearby trashcan, just in time for a disgusting "HUUUURRRRGGGH!" sound and a yellow cascade of vomit to fall out of her mouth. Fox turned away and shut his eyes at the revolting noise, but as soon as the vomiting was over, Fox hugged Mina to comfort her. "You want to leave?"

With her stomach contents emptied, Mina groggily shook her head. "I'll…I'll stay. Thanks anyway."

With that, Fox stood up, ready to leave. "Mina, I have to get going, but if you need anything, call me or the general. Okay?" Mina weakly smiled and nodded and Fox departed.

Always one to look her best, Mina dried her tears and rinsed the ugly taste of the vomit out of her mouth at a nearby sink. Sitting back down, Mina straightened her auburn hair to the best of her ability, although her bottom lip still quivered slightly. She scratched the back of her head, thinking of something to say, but all she could do was shrug.

"What can I say?" Mina said to the unconscious body. "I don't like coming here, but I felt obligated since you're my best friend." Her brown eyes continued overflowing with tears, then she stomped a foot hard on the floor in anger. "Damn Falco! This is all his fault!" She exclaimed, burying her wet face in her paws. She looked back up with puffy eyes. "Isn't it? I mean, you wouldn't be here if he simply treated you better." Mina struggled to swallow the half-formed lump in her throat. "I dunno. I yelled at him this morning thinking he was the cause of this whole mess." Mina sighed deeply and clutched the top of her head. "Maybe I'm overreacting, I dunno. Oh, I'm so confused." Eyelids heavy from all the tears, Mina slowly slumped into her chair, falling into a deep sleep…

* * *

Peppy, Slippy and Vivien lounged outside Fox's car in the parking lot. The hare and toad periodically stole a glance at the wolf girl sunbathing on the car's hood. The pair of crew members agreed Vivien was certainly an enigma; she seemed to carry herself so carefree it was disturbing. Fortunately for them, they hadn't been around Fox when he met her…

"Guys!" Peppy and Slippy were almost startled, but they saw that it was only Fox. "Where's Krystal? And Vivien, what the hell are you doing on my car?"

Vivien answered by blowing a kiss and Peppy pointed to his right. "She's over there. She seemed a bit angry."

Fox ran over to Krystal and looked in her face. Her eyes were narrow and looking away, not focused on any particular object. She had her arms crossed tightly across her dark blue shirt. Fox gently grasped the vixen by her shoulders. "Would you like to tell me what's wrong?"

Krystal's eyes remained focused away from Fox. "Why us? Why can't she stay with someone else?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Krystal finally looked at Fox. "I hate that slut! And I hate the idea of her being in our house!"

"What? Staying in our house? Who said she was staying in our house?"

"Peppy did! He said since you know her better than they do, it's the best solution. I think it's a load of…"

Fox quickly waved off the rest of Krystal's rant. "Okay, okay. I'll talk with him and see what I can do."

He walked back over to Peppy – Krystal right behind him – and led the hare away from Vivien so she couldn't hear the conversation. "You need something, Fox?"

"Pep, I'm sure you saw what happened earlier between Krystal and Vivien, but why am I stuck with the job of making sure they don't kill each other?"

Peppy scratched his chin. "Well, I hardly think that either I or Slippy can handle them as adequately as you did."

Fox rubbed his eyes. "Have you ever heard that Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, right? How, then, do you expect me to deal with _two_ of them?"

Peppy chuckled softly and patted Fox's chest. "You're the leader. You figure it out."

Before Fox could respond, Peppy was already driving off with Slippy. Only he, Krystal and Vivien remained, and Krystal was less than thrilled with having to share the same roof with someone like Vivien. The drive home was going to be a long one, indeed.

* * *

The night was cold and eerie. Falco wandered aimlessly about, wondering where he was. The environment looked completely alien to him; the sky seemed to spin erratically, totally rendering Falco's sense of direction nonexistent. Panicking, Falco quickly searched for a way out of his unworldly predicament. When he turned around, his environment changed altogether; Falco found himself in a spacious Gothic style bedroom. On the bed in the distance, he noticed two horizontal figures – one of them he recognized immediately. Katt lay au naturel with a larger figure on top of her. Before Falco could make out what the other figure was, the scene in front of him zoomed in on the two figures. The second figure was Zolao in his natural state, thrusting away at his new mate. Overcome with rage, Falco screamed at Zolao to get off his girlfriend. However, what was supposed to be a scream became nothing but a haunting silence. Falco tried screaming again but still, silence. Fueled by even more anger, Falco tried pulling Zolao off Katt, but his feathery hands passed through the demon like a ghost. Finally abandoning all rationale, Falco threw all sorts of punches at Zolao in a blind rage, each one passing through Zolao like light through a window. Falco couldn't just sit back and watch helplessly, but he had no choice. Zolao had Katt firmly enveloped in his grasp and was violently having his way with her. Falco wanted to rescue Katt, but from the look on her face, she was _enjoying_ the experience. Zolao kissed and licked Katt all over her face and neck; Katt visibly shuddered and clinched the sheets tightly in ecstasy. She began moaning, which, strangely enough, Falco could hear very clearly, and it didn't sound distressing in the least bit – in fact, it sounded euphoric. Falco just shook his head in disbelief – this nightmare was torturing him and it wasn't letting him go. With Zolao invading her loins, Katt cinched her sensuous legs around him, allowing him to penetrate even further, and with each thrust Katt moaned louder. Falco chanced a closer look at his girlfriend, hoping nothing would happen to him by doing so. The pupils of Katt's once beautiful green eyes were now reduced to mere dots. Katt visibly tensed up and, with one final outburst, unleashed a hellish shriek of delight, claws digging into the bed even deeper than before. Katt slumped limp into the pillow, panting heavily, and Falco glared at Zolao, wanting to beat the grinning demon within a breath of death for what he had just done to her. Falco then looked at Katt, who appeared to be sleeping peacefully, but when he leaned in close, Katt's eyes snapped open; her eyes were now empty, lifeless white orbs. Falco staggered back when those eyes focused on him and she slowly rose from the bed. The soft red blankets Katt held dropped to the floor, unsheathing her bare, shapely body. Falco watched Katt advance toward him, never feeling as uneasy in front of his naked girlfriend as he did now. The possessed feline grabbed hold of Falco and delivered soft kisses to his face and neck. The grip Katt had on Falco felt constricting, like a venomous snake squeezing its prey to death. Katt continued kissing Falco's neck when, with one swift stab, she sank her fangs into his neck. The sensation was numbing – Falco's expression turned to shock. Jerking her head about, Katt ripped her fangs away, bringing a large meaty portion of Falco's neck with them. Much to his surprise, Falco was still alive; this nightmare was definitely being cruel to him now, letting him stay alive while his girlfriend literally ate away at him. Falco dropped to his knees, blood soaking his shirt and jacket, but Katt pulled him upright by the shirt. With a bloodcurdling screech, Katt punched a hole into Falco's chest, and yanked out his bloody, throbbing heart. Falco collapsed in a heap, his eyes open just enough to see his demonized girlfriend chomp half of his heart, blood squirting everywhere. Zolao approached and Katt fed him the other half. Katt's forked tongue sensually licked the blood around her mouth and on her paws, and then jumped on Zolao, kissing and licking his face in a show of eroticism and lust…

Falco shot up like a rocket, his heart pounding loudly in his chest, feeling around his chest and neck to make sure they were both intact. He blinked several times before he realized where he was – on the couch in Katt's living room. Falco wiped the sweaty moisture on his face. _"Shit. What a nightmare."_ Falco shivered, but more from anger that Zolao had actually been in that same house just days earlier and stole Katt away.

"I gotta get out of here. This is creeping me out." Falco stood up, stretched, and headed for his bike.

* * *

The drive home for Fox wasn't a long one, but to him, it sure felt like it. Not one of the occupants spoke a word to each other; Krystal and Fox were silent out of shock and disappointment, whereas Vivien laid back casually in the backseat with her hands folded behind her dark hair. Krystal occasionally stole a glance at the wolf in the rearview mirror, cracking her knuckles as she thought of innovative methods to dismember the unwelcome passenger. From the moment Krystal lay eyes on Vivien, she disliked her with a passion. 'Slut', 'whore', and any and all other synonyms just radiated from Vivien like sunlight, that is, according to the Cerinian. After what seemed like hours, Fox pulled into the driveway of his home. Krystal made sure Vivien was in front of her as they exited the vehicle and stepped into the spacious abode.

"Looks cozy." Vivien stated with a whistle.

Krystal kept her gaze locked on Vivien. _"Don't get too cozy, or you're getting a mouthful of broken teeth."_

Vivien took an admirable gaze around the house, and slowly but surely, found herself meandering toward the hallway to the left. Fox immediately started walking over to intercept her.

"What are you doing? You can't go back there."

Vivien raised her eyebrows. "And why not?"

"The master bedroom is back there, and we don't let anyone in there without our consent. Understand?"

A smirk crept on Vivien's face. "Ah, I see. You got something kinky in there you don't want me to find?"

With that, Krystal finally snapped. "That's it. You're dying NOW!" She maneuvered around Fox and made an attempt to grab Vivien, but Fox quickly grabbed Krystal from behind and lifted her off her feet. Krystal seethed with hatred and flailed at Vivien, but to no avail. Vivien pointed and laughed.

"Fox, you better put me down now."

"Not while you're angry."

"But Fox…!"

"I don't want the house to be turned into a wrestling ring just because you don't like her!"

"Gee," Vivien interrupted. "I was just kidding. All I wanted was a place to sleep."

Fox sighed. "There's one at the end of the hallway next to the kitchen."

"Cool. Thanks a bunch, foxy." As Vivien walked past him, Fox waited until she was out of hearing range and looked at Krystal.

"Now, I'm going to let you go, but promise me you won't attack Vivien while she's here, okay? You let me deal with her."

Krystal sighed with disappointment. "Fine." Fox then slowly released his grip and Krystal, true to her word, stood still before retreating to the master bedroom. Fox was about to follow her when he heard a knock at the door. He opened the door, but didn't look too surprised.

"Falco, what are you doing here?"

Falco quickly brushed past Fox and slumped in one of the soft chairs in the living room. "I don't know if I'll be able to handle all this."

Fox followed his friend and sat across from him. "Why? What's going on?"

"I ran into Zolao last night at Katt's house. He did quite a number on me."

"Oh I can tell. You're bruised all over."

"Not only that, but this morning, Mina calls me and practically tells me off. Then I fall asleep on the couch and…and…"

"Well?"

Falco shook his head. "It was like a horrible nightmare. First I see Katt and then I…see…that…son of a…BITCH!" Falco shot upright and tore feathers out of his head.

A familiar voice interrupted. "You must be Falco, if I'm not mistaken." The avian turned and saw a female wolf standing in the hallway.

"Who the hell are you?"

"That's Vivien." Fox answered. "Pepper said she was able to help us."

_"Great." _Falco thought. _"Then why don't I feel any better?"_

* * *

Approx. 11:54 p.m.: Corneria City Hospital

Mina woke up with an incredible ache in her neck. After all, she was asleep for almost ten hours. Hearing footsteps approach, she sat up quickly and yawned. A somewhat portly canine doctor walked in and checked on the room's only patient. Mina looked at the bed and saw Katt in the same condition she was in when Mina dozed off. Satisfied with what he saw, the doctor turned and left, smiling at Mina. Mina smiled back and stood up, stretching her arms over her head and settled her woeful stare on Katt.

"Could you please hurry and get better? I got no one else to talk to." Looking over Katt, Mina noticed that her abdomen had grown slightly. Concerned, Mina placed a hand on Katt's belly; it was warm, whereas the rest of her body was cold.

"My god, Katt. Are you pregnant?"

Almost instantly, Katt's eyes shot open; her eyes were slightly foggy and constricted. She sat up, her blank stare concentrated on Mina. The collie began to back up from the bed, thoroughly frightened.

"Katt, what's with you? You're starting to freak me out."

Katt removed the tubes, oxygen mask and dismounted from the bed. With each step Katt took forward, Mina took a step back. Katt continued advancing toward Mina until Katt suddenly dropped to her hands and knees and started heaving heavily. Worried about her friend, Mina approached Katt, but Katt suddenly grabbed Mina's ankles and pulled her feet from under her. Slightly dazed, Mina shook her head and found Katt climbing on top of her until she was in her face. Mina waited for something to happen and suddenly she saw Katt's eyes glowing red; her upper lip curled to reveal long, poisonous fangs in a sadistic smile. Mina could only do one thing: scream.

The piercing scream was short-lived, as Katt sank her jaws around Mina's neck and ripped away a chunky portion in a bloody mess. Crimson fluid seeped all around Mina's now lifeless body while Katt shrieked in triumph. Footsteps approached, and Katt turned to see the two security guards at the door with their tranquilizer weapons ready. Katt growled and latched onto the wall, leaping around the room and avoiding the guards' shots easily. One shot, however, managed to strike Katt in the leg. She fell to the ground with a thud. After calling for reinforcements, the guards picked Katt up and held on to her as they looked at each other.

"Looks like we'll need the general."

* * *

After his nightmare earlier, Falco had trouble falling asleep. His eyes were growing bloodshot from watching a movie marathon with the lights out, and his body was too weak to move. Slapping himself awake, Falco staggered from the chair and turned the television off. He was moving toward the sofa when a hand grabbed his shirt and another one covered his mouth. Falco was dragged through the living room and into another room where he was shoved onto a soft bed. The door slammed shut and the light turned on almost instantaneously. Falco quickly sheltered his eyes from the bright light.

"Gah! Turn that fuggin' light off!" Vicious slaps across the face brought Falco to life. His vision focused and saw Vivien staring at him. "What the…what's your problem? I feel like I've got a fucking hangover now, thank you."

Vivien grabbed Falco by the shoulders. "Now you listen well because I'm only going to tell you this once." She proceeded to sit next to the groggy bird. "I've already been asked 'How do I know Zolao?' Apparently, I'm the only one outside of your group of friends who does, so I'm going to tell you. All incubi are lustful creatures; it's what they live for. No love is involved anywhere; it doesn't exist to them; it's the only thing that can destroy them. If one happens to get out of line, he'll be fortunate if the consequences aren't fatal."

Falco suddenly interrupted Vivien. "Look, that's all well and good and everything, but why are you telling me this?"

With a shrug, Vivien stood up with her back to Falco, reached behind her back for the zipper and unfastened her top. Halfway between her waist and her shoulder blades were two long diagonal scars.

"Um, wow." Falco stated, unimpressed. "What happened there?"

Vivien refastened her top and sat back down. "Remember what I said about those who get out of line?"

Falco's jaw dropped. "So, you…were one of _them_?"

Vivien nodded. "And I'll bet you're wondering what I did that pissed them off. Well, on a planet nowhere near here a few years ago, my group ravaged a small village while everyone there was asleep. I come upon this one guy sleeping peacefully, but…he was so…handsome and beautiful that I couldn't bring myself to do what I was supposed to do. I _loved_ him, Falco, and it felt good. But like I said, Zolao and the incubi don't believe in love, so when he found out about me, he had his associates beat me and hold me down while Zolao himself literally _tore_ the wings out of my back. Then he curses me with this mortal body and banishes me off the planet. Not only that, but he also curses me with the lifestyle and attitude of a slutty whore, and only by destroying Zolao can I get out of it. I may not show it, but I hate living that way."

"And what's my involvement in all this?" Falco asked.

"Zolao stole your girlfriend and made her his queen. Therefore, you're the only one who can destroy him. If you don't succeed, he will."

Falco suddenly felt the weight of a tremendous amount of responsibility fall on him. "And how do I destroy him?"

Vivien laughed and patted Falco's shoulder. "I've given you a hint. Now figure it out yourself."

Suddenly, the door shot open; Fox and Krystal standing with worried looks on their faces. "Guys, it's Pepper. Mina's dead."

* * *

Chapter 9 to come! Please R & R!


	9. Plan in Action

Chapter 9: The Plan in Action

The media, police, and hospital staff swarmed around General Pepper like bees. Only he and the Starfox group were the only other ones permitted to witness the murder scene at the hospital. The media questioned potential witnesses, although the two guards were the only ones who really witnessed anything.

The general shook his head and sighed, turning to Fox. "This is getting out of hand, Fox. What do you suggest we do about this? This situation can't possibly get any worse, can it?"

Vivien caught a glimpse of the pink feline leaning against a nearby wall. Katt sat in her hospital gown with her paws cuffed behind her. Her eyes drooped halfway shut and her head lolled to one side. No one really knew how long the tranquilizing effect would last. "Actually, general, it's going to get a lot worse and I doubt any of us can do anything to prevent that."

Pepper's jowls opened in an expression of shock. "What? We can't do _anything_?"

"That's right." Vivien caught sight of a nearby calendar on the wall and remembered that the current date was the same date highlighted on the calendar, which also happened to fall on a full moon. "For three full moons, someone dies, and then the transformation will be complete. The demon growing inside of your friend here will be born on the third full moon, and then all hell will break loose on this planet."

Peppy chimed in. "So, can anyone stop this once it happens?"

Vivien stole a quick glance at Falco, who had averted his gaze downward, not preferring to be acknowledged. Vivien obliged with a smirk. "Yes, but Lord only knows who that is. I suppose he'll be revealed when the time is right."

Krystal took a suspicious glance at Vivien from the corner of her eye, but wisely held her tongue. "So, what do we do about Katt?"

Fox shrugged at the general. "Well, no one else besides us knows about Katt's predicament. They only know about the monsters."

Pepper removed his cap and scratched his head. "Try asking those two right there." Everyone in the group turned to see two figures in white suits – one carrying a strait jacket – enter the room. A nearby officer picked Katt up and removed the cuffs while the other two figures quickly applied the strait jacket and led Katt out of the room.

Slippy responded in his trademark high-pitched, annoying voice. "At least we know where she's going."

* * *

Fox and company followed the truck Katt was in all the way to the prison. Inside, the group waited next to the window separating them from the white padded room. Fox and Krystal had their attention on Falco, who was standing afar in a corner and had his back to the window. Arms crossed tightly, Falco simply stared at the floor, not daring to look at Katt in her condition any further than he already had. The sick feeling that had developed deep in his gut wouldn't go away and that made him feel exponentially worse. Falco also didn't turn around when he heard the door behind the window open. The two workers brought Katt into the padded room, unbuckled the strait jacket and rushed out of the room as quickly as possible. Katt stood motionless in the middle of the room before looking around. Fox and the group observed Katt through the window overlooking the chamber. After wandering about, Katt settled into one of the corners and began rubbing and patting her pregnant belly affectionately, albeit with a blank expression.

Fox turned to the equine warden standing nearby. "Are you sure she'll be contained adequately?"

The warden didn't look at him. "The walls are reinforced steel and concrete. That window can withstand a hyper laser. She's not getting out anytime soon."

"You sure don't look all that concerned."

"We've never had a convict escape since we've been open and that's not going to change, sir."

"I strongly suggest you take some extra precautions if you value your life."

The doctor finally turned to Fox. "You've got some nerve. I have seen literally hundreds of nasties come through here and this one is no different. I am the expert here, not you; now leave this minute before I call security." With that, the warden calmly turned and walked away.

Vivien chuckled. "I wouldn't mind if someone bit his head off."

Fox turned and looked through the window at Katt. "Don't give me any ideas." Fox sighed deeply. "What can we do now?"

"We wait," Vivien replied, "and prepare."

* * *

Falco lay on the bed clutching a pillow over his head. In the last hour, he had been handed the responsibility of being the only one capable of saving Corneria from Zolao and his evil plot. He didn't know what he had to do, but even if he did, he didn't know if could actually do it. The thought of it made him groan, and he groaned loud enough that he didn't hear Vivien walk in. She sat down on the bed next to Falco.

"Why did you do this to me?" Falco asked. His voice sounded muffled from under the pillow.

"You're the one Katt cares about the most. When the time comes, neither Fox nor anyone else will be able to put an end to this disaster except for you."

Falco sat up in a hurry and slammed the pillow to the ground, eyes ablaze as he stared back at Vivien. "Then dammit, how am I supposed to stop it?"

Vivien's voice was as cool as the other side of the pillow. "Well, do you love Katt?"

Falco simply shrugged. "Yeah, of course I like her…"

"I didn't say LIKE. I said LOVE. Do you _love_ her?"

Falco didn't answer immediately, and the longer he remained silent, the more Vivien believed the words coming out of his mouth would be a lie. "Never mind. Don't answer that." Vivien stood up and left, sighing and mumbling to herself. "I guess we're fucked, then."

Falco could hear Vivien just outside the bedroom door. He fell back onto the bed in regret. "I AM fucked."

* * *

Krystal flopped down on the bed and turned the bedside lamp on. Fox sat down next to her and pulled off his sweat-drenched shirt. "_Wait and prepare"_ Vivien had said; Fox replayed the message in his head like a broken record. Waiting was difficult because, according to Vivien, what's been done has been done and can't be reversed until the worst happens. Krystal dreaded the preparation, for it meant having to work with Vivien, and she already didn't like her.

"So what now, Fox?" Krystal asked.

Fox sighed, he himself a bit unsure of what to do. "We can't stop what's happening to Katt, but we have to do what we can to limit the damage she causes."

"And how are we going to do that?"

Fox bent over and his face in his paws, pondering long and hard. He slowly breathed in and out as he searched his steadfast intellect for a feasible plan. At last, Fox paused – he found an idea.

"Why don't we just _sneak_ in?"

* * *

Meanwhile…

The warden – Mr. Giger – casually strolled the halls of the prison facility, glancing around at the cells holding the city's degenerates. "_Who does that McCloud character think he is? He doesn't know what he's talking about."_ Giger ultimately arrived at Katt's reinforced cell and took a brave look inside. Katt paid no attention to him, instead still rubbing and petting her pregnant belly affectionately. He gasped when he suddenly looked down at his patient. Katt was staring at him with clouded eyes and a curious tilt of her head. Giger's heart began throbbing faster than normal in his chest. She looked like she was about to crash through the window and rip someone apart. Instead, Katt giggled. She had a high-pitched laugh, somewhat like a child and very much unlike her normal uncorrupted voice. Her voice was innocent, yet menacing.

"My baby is talking to me." Katt said as she looked at the warden. She patted her belly softly. "Please touch him. He's warm."

Giger raised his eyebrows and Katt's seemingly innocent smile disappeared.

"Why are you scared? My baby isn't scary! TOUCH HIM!"

Giger looked around to see if anyone saw him. He turned to leave when Katt sprang up after him, but screeched in pain almost immediately as she fell to the floor, doubled over and clutching her belly. Giger stopped and looked the window one final time. Giger saw Katt screaming and rolling around on the floor. He scrunched his nose when he saw a pair of small protrusions on her forehead; blood dripping onto the snowy white padding. Her horns had appeared – she was transforming.

* * *

Fox and company spent the time they had until the next full moon preparing for their mission. They contacted General Pepper about the necessary weapons and equipment; they received permission from Bill to use his van; they each designated a place where each of them was going to be at midnight on that full moon night. However, Falco was feeling extremely troubled. He clutched his pillow in anger and gritted his teeth as his thoughts haunted him.

"_Geez, Falco. You're such a pussy. What the hell's wrong with you?"_

"_Stop it! Just go away!"_

"_What's the matter? Is the almighty Falco Lombardi too yellow to show a little emotion?"_

"_I said go away! Leave me alone!"_

"_What happened to Katt is your fault. You weren't there to protect her, and now look at her. Some hero YOU are."_

"_I said leave me alone!"_

"_Too much pride can kill you. Showing love doesn't make you weak. Try showing Katt you know what that word means…"_

"LEAVE ME ALONE, DAMN YOU!" Falco angry outburst could be heard throughout the house. Fox and the others rushed to him as quickly as possible.

"Falco, what's wrong?"

Falco didn't look up, but Fox could feel the anger welling up inside his friend. "I'm not strong enough, Fox. I can't do it." He brushed by Fox and slammed the front door on his way out. Fox and Krystal just stared at each other as they listened to Falco's bike speed off into the night. Fox gritted his teeth in anger. Why wouldn't his friend help them? He stomped toward the door and swung it open.

"COME BACK HERE, YOU COWARD!" Fox bellowed. He jumped when he felt Krystal embrace one of his arms.

"Let him go, Fox." The vixen said. She stared out into the cold, cruel night, air still smelling of motor fuel. "We'll just have to do what we can, however futile it may be." She released Fox's arm and headed toward one of the smaller doors in the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Fox asked.

"I'll be meditating" Krystal replied solemnly, opening the sliding mechanical door. "And don't bother me." The door hissed shut.

Vivien chewed on a nail. "I hope she knows what she's doing, foxy."

"Yeah, me too."

* * *

The equine warden sat in his office, thinking about his encounter with the alien Katt. He propped his feet up on his desk when one of his security guards timidly approached him. The equine sighed in exasperation.

"What now, Lensky?"

Lensky swallowed the lump in his throat. "Well, sir, what if Fox and his friends are right? That alien's been acting much worse than when they admitted her a few days ago."

"Lensky, don't question what I do here. You know just as well as I do that not one inmate has been a problem since I've been here." Giger just shook his head. "Besides, if Fox and his friends show up here again and try to run the show, I'll have them arrested."

"But…"

"I'm not going to be made a fool in my own institution, Lensky. That'll be all." Giger brushed by without another word. Lensky slumped his shoulders in defeat. Little did he know what would happen in the next couple of days…

* * *

Falco hated being cold, and sitting in the rain didn't help. He looked upon his towering apartment building, into the relentless downpour. It was his one safe haven now. All he wanted was to be alone and let someone else deal with the problem at hand. Falco was strong at heart, but not strong enough to cope with something of this magnitude. Falco removed his helmet and trudged up to his dwelling. Unfortunately for him, his simian landlord was waiting for him at his door.

"Damn it all, Falco! Clean up that mess of yours in there! We've got a serious pest problem in here thanks to you. If that room isn't clean by tomorrow…GACK!" THUD! The landlord felt a horrific pain as Falco kept a death grip on his throat. Falco's eyes burned a hole in the monkey, and they twitched ominously. At any moment, Falco could crush his victim's throat. He blinked…

"Go ahead, Falco. Kill me."

He recognized it immediately. Zolao's voice came from the monkey's mouth.

"You can't do it, can you? You've never killed anyone in cold blood before, have you?"

Falco trembled in anger. "Shut up, damn you."

"What the hell are you talking about?" The landlord squeaked. However, Falco only heard the incubus's maniacal laugh instead.

"You're weak. You're girlfriend is mine and you're too scared to stop me."

"I'm not scared of you." Falco whispered.

"Really? Then why are you trembling?"

Falco didn't notice before, but his arm was shaking tremendously. "That's because I feel like breaking your fucking neck, you bastard."

"No. You would have done so already. Face it, you are weak…"

"I…said…SHUT UP!" With a mighty heave, Falco took his victim and launched him down the hall. The irritable primate hit the ground hard. Falco shook his head, realizing what he had done.

"You're in deep shit now, Lombardi." The landlord said, massaging his throat as he stood up. "I'm having you arrested." The monkey stormed back into his office, leaving Falco alone in the old hallway.

"SHIT!" Falco drove a fist into the door, creating a small dent. He grimaced from the pain, but ignored it and entered his apartment. Now Falco had TWO problems to worry about.

* * *

"Damn!" Fox exclaimed. He furiously mashed the off button on his phone.

"What did the general want, foxy?" Vivien asked.

"He said some criminals just robbed the base of some of the equipment we need." Fox replied. "And quit calling me foxy. It's annoying."

"And just how do you plan on stopping me…foxy?" Vivien retorted, arms akimbo.

The door Krystal had just walked into reopened and the blue vixen rushed to the master bedroom. Just as quickly, she returned with her staff.

Fox scratched his head. "You've never had to meditate with your staff before. Are you okay?"

Krystal disappeared again into the basement. With a situation such as the one they faced, Krystal would take no risks, but what exactly was she planning?

* * *

Falco awoke to the noisy city buses honking outside his apartment. He blinked his bloodshot eyes out the window before dropping his head back on his pillow with a moan. His boxers hung off his waist and his feet dangled over the side of the bed. A faint scent tickled his senses, but Falco merely grumbled, rubbing the scent away as if it were nothing. He yawned audibly and held his eyes open just long enough to see the source of the odd scent. The sight woke him up immediately, and it was pink and furry.

Falco's eyes went wide with shock; the surprise of his girlfriend in bed with him rendered him speechless. He scrambled upright and nearly fell off the bed. Katt was lying next to him with a lustful look in her eyes and clad only in a long white nightshirt. She wasn't how Falco last saw her, though; now, she was as he always remembered. Surely, she was a figment of Falco's imagination…wasn't she?

"Hey, sleepyhead." Katt cooed. "Miss me?"

Falco fumbled through his sheets and tumbled off the bed. He stared at Katt as if he had seen a ghost, gasping heavily. As the feline stood up, Falco cast a wary eye on her. Something wasn't right about her…

"Falco, get up off the floor. We have a big day today! We'll go to the movies and everything! We'll have so much fun, just the two of us!"

As Katt assisted Falco to his feet, he spotted his phone within reach. "Um, yeah, sure thing, Katt. I…uh…have to make a phone call."

The caressing touch that had helped Falco off the floor now thrust him into a wall; the lamp sitting on Falco's nightstand clattered to the ground. Katt's eyes glowed a fiery red. "You're going to call one of your friends, aren't you? To hell with your friends! Why can't it ever be the two of us?" Katt's grip on Falco tightened around his neck, and her charming voice started transforming into a deeper, more demonic tone. "You are going to regret leaving me!" Katt's sadistic grin revealed three rows of lethal, bony fangs. Falco couldn't scream, and watched helplessly as the teeth descended on top of him…

"GAH!" Falco's eyes shot open and he sprouted upright, panting – another nightmare. His face damp with sweat, Falco took a half-full cup of water sitting next to him and splashed it on his face. He rubbed it into his face and head vigorously in an effort to wake up. For a moment, he simply sat in his messed-up bed and shook his head. "I just can't get away from this, can I?"

Loud, hard knocks interrupted Falco's thoughts. "Open up, Mr. Lombardi. This is the police; we know you're in there."

"Aw, shit." Falco mumbled. His landlord wasn't bluffing. Looking around quickly, Falco spotted a nearby window. Pulling his boots and jacket on, Falco grabbed his blaster and tried to open the window, but it was jammed.

"Open up in there, Falco, or we're coming in after you!"

Falco put his jacket on and with one energetic thrust of his elbow, shattered the window. Just as he did so, he heard the door break open. He broke away the remaining glass in the window and climbed down the fire escape. Footsteps following him, Falco descended two floors before looking down at his bike. He wouldn't have to jump far. Looking up at the officers in pursuit, Falco grabbed the handrail tightly and made his leap of faith. On the way down, he could hear the officers call for backup. Snatching his keys out of his pocket, he fired up the bike and sped off into the street. Unfortunately, police vehicles were outside the building waiting for him; as soon as Falco raced past them, the sirens starting blaring. Falco wove in and out of traffic, horns blaring at him incessantly. The sirens following him slowly began catching up. Falco chanced a glance in the rearview mirror, then to the small panel of switches in front of him. Grinning to himself, he flipped one of the switches. A blast of blue rocket fire shot from the bike's exhaust, propelling Falco well ahead of the police and the traffic. He still had one problem left, and it wouldn't be so easy to deal with.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Vivien. I can't get a hold of him." Fox said, storing away his special team communicator. "Geez, Falco's being a real pain in the ass."

"You want me to go beat some sense into him?" Vivien replied, smirking.

Fox sighed. "No, at least not now. We still have to get ready for tomorrow night. The second full moon's out tomorrow." Fox walked down the hallway with his head down, angry at the notion that Falco would not accept the responsibility bestowed upon him. He opened the door leading to the basement where Krystal was located, curious as to why Krystal was taking such a prolonged amount of time meditating. Fox found the Cerinian in a deep trance, but felt the need to question her before too long. "Krystal, why are you taking so long? You've never taken this long before."

Thoroughly annoyed that her session was interrupted, Krystal glared back at Fox. "And why do you think that is? Falco's not doing anything to help, so I need to do my part. I've dealt with these monsters before as I've told you, but Katt's demon powers are growing as we speak, so I need to prepare for the absolute worst. Now, get out!"

Fox immediately took a step back toward the door. Living with Krystal, Fox had learned one important thing: don't piss off your girlfriend, especially when she has a magical staff. He exited the room immediately.

* * *

Falco couldn't keep running forever; he was low both on fuel and money. He used some of the money he had left to stay at a suburban hotel. It wasn't a flashy, luxurious lodging, but it would have to do for now. "_I can't stay here long. They'll soon report me and start hounding me again."_ Falco thought as he lay on the bed in his room. "_What can I do? I'm too scared to face my responsibility. What the hell is wrong with me?"_ He tried turning on the television in room, hoping to catch a late-night movie marathon. If Falco's fortune wasn't bad enough, he just happened to catch a movie with nothing but demons and monsters ravaging and destroying city; one of them just happened to look like Katt.

"So now _you're_ against me? Great." Falco clicked the television off and tossed away the remote. He fell back on the bed and waited for whatever would happen next.

* * *

The following day…

Fox felt a nervous knot form in his stomach. Tonight was the night he and his team would attack. However, he felt more nervous now than in past missions, where all he and his team had to do was thwart the plot of a common enemy; this time, he would be engaging a close friend, one whom he knew as a kind, carefree, lithe coquette, and one of the best damn pilots in the Lylat System. It pained Fox every time he thought of Katt Monroe as the monster she had now become. He unconsciously bunched up an angry fist at the notion.

"_Damn you, Zolao. Just you wait. Your day is coming real soon, damn you."_

"Fox, are you ready?"

Fox snapped out of his angry thought at the sound of Vivien calling his name. "Huh? What?"

"I said are you ready?"

"Well, considering the predicament this city's in, I pretty much _have_ to be ready, now don't I?" Fox replied sardonically.

Vivien gave Fox the raspberry. "Well, Peppy and Slippy are on their way here and you're staring off into space. Hurry up and get ready! It's almost 10!"

Fox snapped his fingers. "That reminds me. Hey, Krystal! We're almost ready to go! Hurry up!" He shouted, but he never received an answer. He knocked on the door to the basement. "Krystal, let's go. We're leaving any minute now." Fox still received no answer.

"Fox, let's go. Peppy just pulled up. Your girlfriend can catch up."

Fox looked at Vivien and then at the basement door. Time was quickly wasting away, so Fox and Vivien deserted the basement and hopped in the van, leaving Krystal behind.

* * *

Approximately one hour later…

Bill's red van cautiously approached the prison around 11 p.m. Peppy parked the vehicle in a parking lot across the street so as not to draw any suspicion. The group of four huddled in the back. As Slippy browsed his laptop, he skimmed through the details of the complex with Fox and Vivien.

"You'll have to take the sewer to get in." Slippy began. The complex is heavily guarded; entry from above is near impossible."

"Wait a second." said Vivien. "Why can't we just walk in the front door?"

"Remember your little encounter with the warden the other day? He'd throw you both out if you stuck so much as a toe inside the building."

"And don't use your blasters unless absolutely necessary." Peppy added.

Fox took a deep breath with butterflies fluttering in his stomach. "Well, here goes."

"Remember," Slippy said as Fox opened the door, "don't use your blasters unless absolutely necessary."

The pair approached a sewer cover in the middle of the dark road. Fox pried the cover open and followed Vivien down the shadowy hole. The horrid stench of raw sewage pelted the duo hard; they both scrunched their noses at the offensive smell. Vivien pointed to her left.

"I'm guessing that's where we're headed. That's where this smell's coming from." Fox simply nodded in agreement. They followed the flow of sewage down a dingy concrete path, having to jump over a few drainpipes before discovering a corroded ladder within a small niche in the wall. Fox climbed the ladder and listened intently for any noise on the surface. He could hear the faint sound of what sounded like the warden Giger arguing with one of his subordinates.

"I think we're here." Fox whispered to Vivien below him. When he heard a flushing noise, that's when Fox motioned for Vivien to start climbing. "I think this is the warden's private restroom." After the door closed, Fox worked the rusty lock on the metal door until it slowly creaked open. Fox pulled himself out of the hole and assisted Vivien behind him. After closing the door, Fox cautiously opened the restroom door. Fortunately for him, Giger had left his office. Spotting an air vent in the ceiling, Fox stepped onto the warden's desk and pulled it out and hoisted Vivien into the air duct before climbing into the duct himself.

"How far down do we have to go?" Vivien asked.

"I think you go straight, and then turn left." Fox responded.

They quietly crawled through the duct, occasionally glancing down through the vents. Fox was able to see Katt's white-walled cell through one of the vents, feeling more and more nervous as he approached. They managed to make their way through most of the duct fairly quietly. However, when they both heard a creaking noise, they noticed the vent giving beneath them.

"Uh-oh." With a crash, the vent crumbled, and Fox and Vivien fell to the ground…right at the feet of the warden. Needless to say, he did not look pleased to see them.

"Just what the hell are you doing here?" Giger asked angrily.

"We're saving your scrawny little ass from the shit that's about to hit the fan." Vivien retorted as she and Fox stood upright.

"You've got no business here, so get the fuck out!" Giger breathed heavily. "I told you the other day we don't have a problem here."

Fox became exasperated. "Have you not paid the _slightest_ bit of attention to what's been happening recently? I advise you to evacuate immediately if you know what's good for them."

Giger poked Fox's chest hard. "Don't think you can tell me what to do, boy. I know what's best for…"

"RAAAAAHHHHRRRR!" Katt's demonic screeching dropped Fox and Vivien to the ground. Giger just shrugged.

"What the hell's wrong with you two? She can't get out." Giger casually strolled over to the window and looked down at Katt writhing around on the floor of the chamber, her body slowly and grotesquely transforming. Giger smirked. "You two have nothing to worry about." He said as he glanced at Fox and Vivien crouching underneath the window. Katt's head had slightly elongated and her feet resembled three large claws. Wings sprouted from her back, shredding separate holes in the garment. When she spotted Giger staring at her, she hissed and showcased a long, forked tongue. With a screech, she leapt at the window. Giger, confident in his knowledge, did not flinch. Big mistake.

Katt crashed through the seemingly indestructible window, sending security scattering, as well as showering Fox and Vivien with broken glass and pinning Giger to the wall. The force of the impact left a sizable crater. Katt reared her head to finish the warden once and for all, but Fox and Vivien pounced on Katt, grabbing both her arms. As expected, she was too strong for both of them, and threw the pair backwards easily. Katt refocused her attention on the doctor, but Fox, from the seat of his pants, fired a shot from his blaster just to the side of Katt's head. Further angered, Katt focused her attention on Fox and leapt at him. Fox didn't have a chance to fire his blaster again, but just as Katt descended upon him, Vivien leapt from the side and tackled the feline demon. She straddled Katt and began delivering vicious punches to her face. The two wrestled, rolling over the broken glass and tripping up terrified workers trying to escape, all while punching and scratching each other all over the dirty floor. Fox stood up and brushed the broken glass off and prepared to enter the fray. As soon as Katt had Vivien pinned, Fox tackled Katt and quickly rushed behind her, applying a sleeper hold with little success. Katt easily threw Fox over her head and onto his back. Katt raised a leg, but Fox rolled out of the way before the clawed foot left a dent in the floor. Vivien jumped up and applied a full nelson to the demon; that also didn't work. Katt flattened Vivien into the wall, cracking an elbow across her face. Just how long was this battle going to last?

* * *

Peppy peeked out the driver side window. Even from outside, he could tell chaos was running amok inside the building and that Fox and Vivien were in the dead center of it. Lights flickered, windows shattered, and dozens of workers poured out of the building screaming.

"Good lord! This looks like it's gone from bad to hellacious!" Peppy exclaimed.

"It skipped worse?" Slippy asked.

"Indubitably," Peppy replied, "but I don't know what comes after hellacious."

"I'm afraid to ask." Slippy responded.

"I just think that…" Suddenly, a flash of blue sprinted in front of Peppy. "What in blue blazes was that?"

"Pun intended?" Slippy asked with a laughing snort.

"No time for jokes, Slippy. I think that was Krystal!" Slippy gazed out the window with Peppy. The vixen sprinted around the corner and hurdled bushes and employees as she raced toward the building.

* * *

Fox and Vivien were starting to garner a fair amount of bruises. Katt, however, received nary a scratch. The building was virtually empty. The lights flickered and the glass crackled with each step. The three were at a standoff; Fox and Vivien were poised to attack; Katt stood in the middle of them.

"Geez, Fox. How long do we have to do this?" Vivien gasped.

"Until sunrise, I guess." Fox wheezed.

"How much longer until then?"

Fox glanced up at the clock on the wall. "I'd say about five hours."

"Well, that's just perfect." Vivien replied sarcastically. "If we get out of this alive, I'll just have to kick your ass."

Fox began inching toward his blaster, eyes and fingers twitching nervously. Katt noticed this and hunched over, sheltering her pregnant belly with her arms. Katt's voice sounded otherworldly.

"Why do you wish to take my precious baby away from me!" Katt exclaimed. She clenched her teeth and broke in Fox's direction. Suddenly, an ethereal flash shot from behind Fox and struck Katt square in the chest, sending her spiraling backwards past a ducking Vivien and crashing into the wall. Fox looked over his shoulder and his jaw dropped.

"Krystal! What are you doing here?"

"Get down!" The vixen shouted as she fired another blast from her glowing staff. The shot once again struck Katt squarely and sent her further into the wall.

Fox stood up and raced toward his girlfriend. "Krystal, we have to get you out of here! You could get killed!"

"No, Fox. YOU get out of here. I can handle it." Krystal responded.

"But…"

"I can take care of myself! Get going!" Krystal explained. Suddenly, Vivien appeared, racing towards her and Fox.

"Um, I hate to break up this lover's quarrel, but Katt just escaped. She's flown off!"

Without hesitation, the three dashed toward the nearest exit. They sped across the yard, with Fox yelling "Start the van!" to Peppy as they approached. The door quickly shot open and the group jumped in.

"Head east, towards downtown." Vivien instructed.

"Downtown!" Peppy exclaimed. Who knows where we'll find her there!"

"It doesn't matter, Peppy." Fox replied. "We've got to try."

* * *

Somewhere in the dark corners of downtown, a group of nasty lupine thugs celebrated.

"Ha!" One of them laughed. "Those jerk-offs didn't know what hit 'em!"

One of the other thugs high-fived his friend. "Damn straight! With all this military shit, we can fuck up this whole damn city!"

"And we'll be fuckin' rich too, bitch!" Another one said.

"An' then all the hoes'll be BEGGIN' us to fuck 'em!" replied the first thug, laughing.

One of the thugs wedged a joint in his mouth. "Hey Ace, you got a light?"

Ace – the apparent leader of the group – took out his lighter. "Here y'go, dude." Ace sparked the lighter, but a quick, frigid wind blew the light out. Ace looked up, and with a look of awe and disbelief, the thugs watched Katt flap her wings as she descended to the ground.

"Hey, look! The hoes are already comin'!" shouted one of the thugs.

"Aw, bummer." Ace smirked as he gestured at Katt's pregnant belly. "Someone already beat me to her!"

One thug unsheathed a knife and twirled it around effortlessly. "Maybe she likes to play rough, eh?" He ran at Katt, but she caught his knife hand and pinned him against the wall. She forced the knife from his grip, stabbed him squarely in the chest and ripped it downward, opening a long gash in his torso and painting the brick wall a dark red. Two of the lower thugs decided to gang up on Katt, but she easily clutched both of their heads and rammed them together with a sickening crack. The bodies collapsed, but for good measure, Katt stomped on both their heads, crushing their skulls into a crimson mess. Ace looked on in horror as he was the only one left. He blindly grasped for a weapon as a blood-spattered Katt advanced on him. Unfortunately for Ace, he found nothing but the wall against his back. Katt screeched as she grabbed Ace's neck and yanked hard. Blood sprayed everywhere from where Ace's head once resided on top of his body as Katt shrieked in triumph. She flew off, leaving a quartet of bloody bodies in her wake.

* * *

Approx. 12:45 a.m.

Peppy anxiously drove through the streets of Corneria's capital city, desperately hoping a living soul had seen Katt pass through because at the moment, they had found no one. At a red light, Slippy rolled down his passenger window and flagged down a passing vixen who apparently engaged in the world's oldest profession.

"Excuse me, but I was wondering if you could help us find someone?" Slippy asked.

The blue-wigged harlot glanced around inside the van at the group of five. "Who you lookin' for?"

Peppy leaned over Slippy. "We're looking for this flying creature. She's got pink fur and looks like an alien."

"I might've seen it." The vixen said with a smirk in Fox's direction. "But if I can have twenty minutes with that hottie in the back, I'll tell you where she went."

Fox jumped out of his seat and scrambled up to Peppy. "Forget that! Floor it, Peppy!"

The hare hastily obliged as Fox sat back down. "We're getting nowhere with this search." Peppy sighed, rubbing his eyes.

Flashing red and blue sirens ahead of the van caught Vivien's attention. "Hey, what's that up there?" She pointed.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it isn't good for us." Krystal responded.

Peppy pulled the van as close as he could to the mass of police vehicles and ambulances. The group scrambled out and managed to find General Pepper in the midst of all the medical personnel; he met them with a sigh.

"This is starting to get much too serious, Fox." Pepper huffed. "Nothing of this magnitude has caused us so much chaos!"

"What the hell happened here, general?" Fox asked.

"This group of hooligans here just happened to run into Katt not too long ago. She practically tore them to shreds!"

"Damn it all!" Krystal exclaimed, stomping in anger. "I feared this would happen."

"Look out!" a civilian screamed and pointed toward the sky. Katt was descending rapidly from the dark sky and hovering over the traffic congestion. The police immediately began firing at her until she landed on top of a tanker truck. She ripped the roof open and removed the driver by his head. Screeching, she hurled the driver away, rendering his body lifeless against the unforgiving concrete.

"Stop shooting, dammit!" Pepper shouted above the ruckus, but to no avail; officers continued to fire away despite the warning. Katt easily managed to avoid the incoming fire, but one such shot managed to find the truck's tank, blowing the vehicle apart with a vociferous explosion. Everyone ducked for cover as the blast shattered the windows of nearby buildings, showering the street with sharp glass. Fox stood up just as he saw Katt perched on top of a skyscraper, admiring the destruction she had caused. Katt then soared off the building, disappearing into the night. Fox simply hung his head in anger.

Pepper approached the disgruntled fox. "I suggest you go home and rest, Fox. You look tired. We'll clean up here."

Fox, dirty and smelling of sewage, reluctantly agreed. He and the rest of the group piled into the van and retreated home.

* * *

Falco woke up with a stiff neck. An urging for some food agitated the pilot out of his hotel bed. Rubbing his eyes, he turned the television on, hoping to find ideas of where to go to eat. After some commercials, he finally decided on a sandwich shop, but he didn't like what followed. A late-night news station uttered his name in connection to his assault on his landlord. Falco moaned, knowing the hotel clerk was probably watching the same program. Forgetting food for the moment, Falco ditched his temporary lodging and sped off on his bike, hoping to find a safe haven where none existed.

* * *

AN: Finally, after 363 days, another update! Sorry for the lengthy absence; I DO intend to finish this story.


	10. Enemies Turned Allies

Chapter 10: Enemies turned Allies

Fox, Krystal and Vivien spoke nary a word as they drove home. They were all too beaten up and tired to complain about what had just happened, that is, until they arrived at Fox's house.

"What the hell happened out there?" Fox exclaimed.

"The shit's preparin' to hit the fan." Vivien responded from behind Fox. "And if your girlfriend had come along when she was supposed to, we may not have had any casualties."

Krystal, who was walking ahead of Fox, stopped suddenly and turned to glare at Vivien. "You better not be blaming me for what just happened, you little slut!"

Sensing the building tension, Fox immediately thrust both arms to the side. "Whoa, hold up there, ladies! Cooler heads prevail, okay?"

"I won't be cool until that wolf is skewered on my staff!" Krystal shouted, pointing angrily at Vivien.

"I'd like to see you try." Vivien taunted, arms crossed.

Krystal unsheathed her staff and stepped toward Vivien with every intention of following through on her promise. Unfortunately for her, Fox was in her way and he scooped her up over his left shoulder, quickly removing the magical staff from her grasp before she could use it.

"Damn you, Fox, put me down!" Krystal shouted. She continued screaming at Vivien while she beat on Fox in a vain attempt to be released. Fox walked through his bedroom and into the bathroom. There, he unceremoniously dropped the screaming vixen on her rear into the shower stall and turned on the cold water. Krystal shrieked as the frigid water poured over her head before hastily turning the water off. Fox leaned into the shower and stared at his dripping wet girlfriend.

"Cool off and shut up!" Fox shouted. "I'm already tired of playing peacemaker between you two, now could you PLEASE try to get along?"

Krystal stared in shocked silence, breathing heavily. "I…I'm sorry." Krystal whispered. Fox then stood up and left the room. Upon entering the bedroom, Fox saw Vivien leaning against the doorway.

"Having girl trouble?" Vivien smirked. Fox scowled at the remark; he approached Vivien and firmly pushed her into the hallway.

"Good night." Fox said sternly as he closed the sliding door. Tired and exasperated, he sat on the edge of the bed and sighed. Krystal stood behind him, clad only in a red bath towel. Approaching Fox silently, Krystal climbed onto the bed and sat right behind Fox. She began to massage his shoulders and gently kiss his neck.

"I'm sorry, Fox. I really am." Krystal said as she removed Fox's shirt.

Fox sighed. "It's not you, Krystal. All this chaos is just causing a bunch of stress."

Krystal continued kissing Fox's neck and then began to stroke his back. She placed a hand on Fox's bare chest and gently pushed him into a supine position. Her lithe, svelte figure straddled Fox at his stomach as she removed her towel; a sensual glint in her sapphire eyes.

"Then let me help you relieve that stress."

* * *

A crimson streak zoomed along the deserted road next to the ocean. The gentle breeze swayed the tree branches that broke up the moonlight overhead. Meanwhile, Falco was racing as far away from Corneria City as he could; he just wanted everything to go back to normal so he could fight normal enemies and live a normal life again. The responsibility he now carried weighed on him heavily – he and he alone was the only one who could save the entire Lylat System from that diabolical monster Zolao. Falco's thoughts troubled him so much that he failed to react to a vehicle approaching the upcoming intersection. He slammed on the brakes, but at the worst possible time. Falco stopped so suddenly that he careened over the handlebars, across the hood of the car and onto the pavement on the other side.

"Oh, fuck" came out as a gasp right as Falco smacked his head on the road and blacked out.

A few hours later…

Falco found darkness surrounding him as he stared skyward with a stinging pain bombarding his head. Despite the pain, he struggled to a seated position on the bed. _"What else can happen to me?"_ He thought as he massaged his scalp.

"You need to lie down." A female voice said. Falco spun around just as light filled the room and saw Celia, Katt's twin sister, standing in the doorway. Falco immediately hung his head.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Falco moaned.

"Well, I live here." Celia said as she walked toward the bed. "What about you?"

Falco looked around the room without peeking at Celia. The cream-colored walls boasted posters of metal bands and various cars while the rest of the room maintained a feminine atmosphere; the bedspread had pink hearts stitched on it and the dresser possessed a round, elegant mirror. "I don't know. I haven't the slightest idea of how I got here." Falco paused in thought for a moment, still refusing to look at Celia. "Where's my bike?"

"It's in the garage." Celia sighed as she sat down next to Falco. "Your jacket really cost me a pretty paint job on my car back there. You damn near killed yourself you were going so fast!" Falco simply sighed.

"Well, I'm just trying to straighten my life out. It's been shit ever since you and I…you know…"

Celia frowned. She too remembered all too well that one night her sister walked in on her and Falco. "Falco, I saw you on the news. I could get in tons of trouble for keeping you here."

"Then why did you bring me here?" Falco asked.

Celia placed a hand on Falco's arm. "I want to help you. I want to help you fight that monster…"

"That monster is your sister!" Falco snapped.

A look of confusion and shock crossed Celia's face. "What'd you say?"

Falco began breathing heavily with rage. "Y-Your sister, she…she…" Falco tried swallowing his anger, but he stood up clutching his head. "DAMN THAT SON OF A BITCH!"

The outburst caused Celia to retreat a step. She blinked a couple of times trying to comprehend what Falco said. "You mean Katt's the monster?"

Falco sat back down, having calmed down a bit. "I feel responsible for it, too. I feel like such a fucking idiot for letting this happen!" Falco buried his face in his hands. "I can't even stand to look at her now! I just know this mistake is going to haunt me for the rest of my life, and I don't even know how to fix it!"

After a brief moment in thought, Celia stood up from the bed and crouched in front of Falco, speaking very calmly. "Falco, I know you're stronger than this. I know that deep down, you're still the most fearless guy I know." Despite Celia's encouragement, Falco continued to keep his dreary expression fixed on the floor. Concerned, Celia leaned in closer. "Falco, you've hardly looked at me. What's wrong?"

Falco had to swallow hard again. "I know that if I look at you, I'll see Katt and I'll just lose it."

Celia grasped Falco's upper arms. "You sound scared. The Falco I know isn't scared of anything. Which one are you?"

Falco clenched both fists so tightly that he began to tremble. "I don't want to be scared anymore."

* * *

That morning…

Fox had a pleasant expression on his face as he slept; a far different expression than the one he had the previous night. If the bed sheets were any indication, Fox and the sultry vixen his arm wrapped around definitely had a night full of lascivious frivolity. Too bad he was waging a battle with sex-crazed aliens; otherwise he would've enjoyed it more (not that he didn't, obviously).

BLEEP BLEEEEP! The phone sitting on the nightstand awoke Fox none too gently. "Bummer", Fox mumbled as he blindly reached for the phone.

"What the hell do you want?" Fox uttered groggily.

"Fox, is that you?" It was General Pepper.

Pepper's voice immediately brought Fox to a sitting position. "Um, yeah, what's up?"

"Fox, I need you to tell Krystal to come down to the base. I have a favor to ask of her. Also, I need Vivien to go out and find Falco and bring him back to the base; I have something to discuss with him. I've tried calling him, but he won't answer, so I'm e-mailing his most likely locations to you now."

"And I suppose you have something for me to do as well?"

"I want you to go to the Cornerian Military Prison and see about finding us some assistance in this battle. There are some pilots in there that I believe can help pay some big dividends."

Fox looked puzzled. "What's wrong with the guys we have now, general? Who exactly will I be looking for?"

"We'll need all the help we can get, Fox. I've already sent the necessary paperwork over there. Just tell them I sent you and they'll know what to do." With that, Pepper hung up.

Fox set the phone back down and rubbed his tired eyes. "Oh well, back to work."

Next to him, Krystal stirred and arose as well, yawning. "Mm, who was that, honey?"

"That was Pepper." Fox replied. "It sounds like he has a plan."

* * *

Vivien yawned as she drove Bill's van toward downtown. The list of Falco's possible whereabouts was crumpled up in her hand, gripped around the steering wheel. Vivien drove by the gruesome murder scene they had witnessed the previous night. The location was still blocked off with police tape and metal barricades. Vivien sighed as she thought more and more about how futile her search was becoming, as well as about how close Corneria was to complete and utter destruction.

"What a fine time for me not to have a phone." Vivien muttered.

Then out of nowhere, a crash from outside erupted just above Vivien, showering thousands of glass shards onto the streets and stopping the van and the surrounding traffic in its tracks. Vivien stepped out onto the sharp fragments and looked up; a jagged hole in the fifth floor of a nearby building spat out an unfortunate body from the hole, falling to its death with a gut-wrenching crack on the pavement. The large video screen that dominated the side of one the adjacent buildings crackled with static. Vivien's face twisted with hate when the static cleared, revealing none other than Zolao himself; his ugly smile dominating the screen.

"On the next full moon," Zolao's voice boomed, "you will all be mine." The citizens who had stopped to listen looked confused, but terrified. "Your fate is unavoidable." With that, the large screen went black, and everyone on the street stood around with confused and terrified expressions. Stern-faced, Vivien climbed back into the van and hurried off before panic ensued.

* * *

"Where the hell is she?" General Pepper paced anxiously in his office at the military base. Slippy was sitting quietly in one of the chairs, sucking on a lemon lollipop.

"You want a lollipop, general?" Slippy squeaked.

Pepper waved him off, and Krystal suddenly entered the office.

"It's about time you got here, Krystal. Come with me." The vixen followed Pepper and Slippy out of his office and down a short series of hallways until they reached a security-access elevator. The trio entered and descended below ground level to the underground hangar. Rows of fighters, including all the Starfox arwings, lined the massive interior; sunlight from the open ground-level hatch reflected off their metallic bodies. Numerous bodies surrounded each fighter, equipping them with upgraded laser guns, more powerful bombs and more durable shields.

"You're really pulling out all the stops, aren't you?" Krystal asked.

Pepper sighed. "You know as much as I do that Zolao will lead an army as large as I've ever seen. I regret that we'll be sending loyal troops to their death in this battle; that's almost for certain. So, naturally, I want to stack the odds as much in my favor as I can to minimize our losses. That's where you come in, Krystal."

"What do you need me for, general?"

"I remember you saying something about a Cerinian's touch being poison to those monsters. I wonder if your staff has that same capability."

"Just as much so," Krystal responded, "why?"

Pepper pressed his fingertips together. "Could it be possible to channel your staff's energy into these fighters?"

Krystal rubbed the back of her head, seeming a bit uncertain. "It's worked on our Cerinian fighters, but I've never tried it on Cornerian fighters. The technology is a bit different, so I don't know how long it would take."

"We've got five days before all hell breaks loose." Pepper stated. "Get it done before then. Slippy will be here to help you out." The general slowly turned around and walked away. "I'm counting on you."

* * *

Fox arrived at the military prison shortly after 11 a.m. His stomach growled from having skipped breakfast, but he ignored it as he entered the main building. The ursine guard at the security desk noticed him immediately.

"Ah, McCloud, there you are. The general told us to expect you." The guard handed Fox the folder with the paperwork Pepper had informed him about and asked him to follow. Fox skimmed the contents of the folder. He found three sheets of paper that looked like contracts, each one promising a complete acquittal pending the completion of some community service – namely, saving the Lylat System from total chaos. Each copy bore the general's seal and signature, plus signature lines for the convicts to sign.

Fox rubbed his tired eyes as he sat down at a small table. "These guys better be good. That's all I've got to say. As long as it's not…"

The ursine guard grabbed Fox's attention. "McCloud, they're here."

The convicts appeared from behind the door and Fox's face fell, seeing three faces he didn't want to see.

"Hello, Fox."

"Hello, Wolf."

* * *

Vivien was getting frustrated. All but two of the locations on Pepper's list of Falco's possible whereabouts had been searched, and not even a hint of a sign of him. She pulled up to one of the final locations on the list, scrunching her nose as she read the name to herself.

"Puppies Bar & Lounge? Oh my god, not another one…Geez, no wonder this guy's love life sucks."

As Vivien walked in, she saw the same thing she saw at some of her other searches: attractive young females of all species strutting around in outfits that left little to the imagination, serving some of the seediest scum in the city's red-light district. One of these servers approached Vivien, looking at her as if she was eye candy.

"Are you one of our new servers?" The feline hostess asked, smiling suggestively.

"No, I'm just looking for a Falco Lombardi. Does that name ring any sort of bell in that head of yours?" Vivien snapped.

The hostess giggled. "My, aren't we vicious today? That's just the way I like it!"

Vivien flinched toward her angrily. "Well…?" The hostess immediately quailed.

"Yes! Yes, he…he's actually a…uh, regular patron here on weekends. He's…um, actually on the news right now." The hostess nervously pointed behind Vivien to one of the large television screens displaying the news report.

"In addition to the recent monster attacks," the report began, "local police now have a lead in the assault case we reported last night. Falco Lombardi of the famed Starfox team is wanted for assaulting his landlord and eluding arrest by local authorities. He was last seen at the Cozy Couch Inn off Highway 612 heading east. A reward is offered for Lombardi's arrest and conviction."

Vivien sighed with relief. "As much as I'd like to degrade myself by staying here one more second, I'd really like to get going now…"

Before she could leave, some of the lounge's rougher-looking patrons stepped between Vivien and the exit.

"You threatened our Little Miss Patty-Cake, didn't you?" huffed one of the patrons.

Vivien simply smirked. "What are you going to do, give me a slap on the wrist?"

The patron responded with a fierce palm across her face, flooring her, drawing hoots and hollers from his friends. The celebration was short-lived, as Vivien thrust both her three-inch heels into her attacker's jewels, bringing him to his knees. Sitting up, she grabbed his two friends by their crotches and twisted as hard as possible, following with throwing both of them on top of their friend. Rubbing her face, she stepped over the fallen thugs, making sure to stomp her heels into their backs for good measure as she walked out.

"Have a nice day, assholes."

* * *

"So how are we going to do this?" Slippy asked.

Krystal took a long gaze at the seemingly countless number of fighters inside the hangar. "Well, like I told the general, the staff energy transfer will only work on Cerinian technology." She stated, gazing at the sapphire jewel on her staff. "However, if we can find one fighter with the closest matching schematics to a Cerinian fighter, we can modify it to accommodate the required technology and then copy it to the other fighters."

"That sounds great and all," said Slippy, "but we don't know what a Cerinian fighter looks like."

Krystal rolled her eyes and sighed. As she held the staff upright, the azure jewel glowed and the sections surrounding it snapped apart. The section holding the jewel opened downward to reveal a small microchip. Krystal delicately removed the chip and took it to a nearby computer terminal where she placed the chip in a small slot on the control panel. The schematics appeared as a three-dimensional holographic display in front of them. Krystal turned and smirked at the toad.

"I'm sorry, what'd you say?"

Slippy grumbled incoherently. "You're such a show-off. Anyway, now we just have to compare the Cerinian schematics to those here in the hangar." Slippy typed in a few commands and a lengthy list of past and present Cornerian fighters scrolled down rapidly.

"So how many fighters are being compared?" Krystal asked.

"About a thousand," Slippy answered, "most of them are still operable, so whatever matches come up won't be hard to find."

"Now what do we do while that's scanning?"

"We wait."

Krystal sighed. "Imagine that."

* * *

"Dammit, general, what are you thinking?" Fox whispered angrily into his phone making sure he was out of earshot of Wolf and his crew.

"Fox, I'm not taking any chances. Wolf O'Donnell is a skilled pilot and can be of great use to us."

"But…"

"Whatever personal vendetta you have with Wolf, Fox, I suggest you stow it away for the time being."

"He'll be a distraction!"

"Fox, I'm not changing my mind. I want you to bring Wolf and his crew down here immediately to be briefed. Do I make myself clear?"

Fox sighed. "Fine." He pocketed his phone and returned to the small office, stone-faced.

Wolf smirked as Fox walked in. "What happened, McCloud? You look like someone stole your favorite lollipop."

Fox snatched up the signed documents and glared a hole through his antagonist. "Under any other circumstances, I'd let you all rot in here. As it is, I'm under orders to escort you to Pepper's base."

Panther Caroso sighed amorously. "I hope your lady friend will be there."

Fox stepped towards Panther and pointed a finger at him. "Watch it. Now, let's stop wasting time and let's go."

* * *

I've introduced Wolf and I plan on introducing other characters from the SF universe. Stay tuned.


End file.
